Labour Party Proposals

[Thomas J Stamp]

its a blank picture on their website, google search reveals stuff from years back, but they have to formally launch their manefesto.

when it is we'll have it here.

[Thomas J Stamp]

Have been informed the manifesto will be out monday and they will be in touch with us.

[Jamie2k9]

I think Mr Kelly will keep his seat so my question that should be put to Labour is what does Mr Kelly plan next for his railway line!

[ACustomer]

Mr Kelly now has to look for votes in South as well as North Tipp. (The 2 Tipps have been amalgmanated). This means he has two lines of his own - Limerick Junction to Waterford serves mainly South Tipp.

TGVs to Carrick on Suir no doubt.

[Thomas J Stamp]

Alan Kelly has moved on from playing with trains - in the last month there has been an announcement for a hydro electric scheme inside the old silvermines complex, 300 jobs for some US tech centre in Nenagh and he brought Natural Gas to Nenagh as well.

Still not sure who the labour spokesperson on Transport actually is....

[Thomas J Stamp]

From the Labour Party Economic plan

https://www.labour.ie/download/pdf/labour_economic_plan_hr.pdf

Investing in better roads, rail links, broadband and other key infrastructure boosts enterprise, generates growth and raises incomes, all of which are critical to ensuring higher living standards. This mean stronger domestic consumption, healthier public finances and an economy
more resilient to global economic downturns. We will create a €1 billion dedicated Green Infrastructure fund to invest in clean public transport and energy efficiency projects. This will be funded by €500 million from proceeds from the sale of bank shares, combined with private sector leveraging.

Building on the progress we have made to date, we will invest an additional €8.368 billion into the economy in current and capital spending over the next five years. In addition, Labour will prioritise greater funding for infrastructural projects if economic growth continues to exceed expectations. The latest capital plan will be reviewed by the end of 2016. Subject to the continued strong performance of the public finances, we will bring forward a number of
additional key projects and expand the plan.

We will bring forward commencement of construction works on Metro North in Dublin and complete the national motorway network by increasing investment to better connect Dublin to the North-West and further develop the Atlantic Corridor to ensure proper road connectivity
between Cork, Limerick and Galway



8 billion sounds impressive, but it includes "current spending" and down at the bottom of the document there is the costsings:



Health 2,975
Education and Children 2,158
Social Protection 1,720
Housing 530
Other Expenditure 985
Total 8,368



Its not much, is it? "Bring forward commencement of construction works on Metro North" doesn't actually mean commencement of construction works on Metro North for one thing.

I guess the Metro North and "improved rail links" will come from the "other" of €985 million, note the €1 billion for green public transport also includes "energy efficiency projects" whatever they may be.

[ThomasJ]

If JB was to lose her seat in Dublin west I would be happy.

When she was in opposition, she was pro actively pushing the case for electrification of the maynooth line.

When she went into government that disappeared. She never mentioned it again during her time in government until they announced the dart enhancement project or whatever it was she was out canvassing at stations the next couple of days (we knew there was an election coming) despite there only being planning funding allocated for the line over the duration of the next government. At least TDs in Dublin north pushed and got a better deal.

When the electrification plans were cancelled during LVs time there was not much as a peep from her and she has not highlighted the need anywhere for better transport needed for Dublin 15. In her election leaflets there's 2 lines at the bottom if electrification of the maynooth line .

She hasn't done much for Dublin 15 since she went in and if she loses her seat I won't shed a tear.

[berneyarms]

If JB was to lose her seat in Dublin west I would be happy.

When she was in opposition, she was pro actively pushing the case for electrification of the maynooth line.

When she went into government that disappeared. She never mentioned it again during her time in government until they announced the dart enhancement project or whatever it was she was out canvassing at stations the next couple of days (we knew there was an election coming) despite there only being planning funding allocated for the line over the duration of the next government. At least TDs in Dublin north pushed and got a better deal.

When the electrification plans were cancelled during LVs time there was not much as a peep from her and she has not highlighted the need anywhere for better transport needed for Dublin 15. In her election leaflets there's 2 lines at the bottom if electrification of the maynooth line .

She hasn't done much for Dublin 15 since she went in and if she loses her seat I won't shed a tear.

Being realistic about it no party was suggesting electrification would happen as part of their election manifesto five years ago, given that the country was effectively bankrupt - I'm not sure how you would imagine this would have been funded?

[Thomas J Stamp]

from the FG manesfesto 2011

Rail Services: We will support the expansion in range and frequency of high capacity commuter rail services, particularly Metro North and the Western Rail Corridor, which will be subject to a cost benefit analysis by independent experts. We also recognise the need to maximise the integration of our public
transport services through route management and integrated ticketing.

Rail Electrification: Fine Gael supports the electrification of our rail network and will pursue further electrification subject to the availability of finance. Priority will be given to the electrification of the Maynooth to Dublin and Kildare to Dublin suburban rail lines.

progamme for government

We recognise the need to rebalance transport policy to favour public transport. We will therefore establish a Cabinet sub-committee on Infrastructure to explore the benefits to the public transport
passenger of more diverse bus service provision.

A modern high speed transport system is essential to ensure our economic competitiveness. We will support the expansion in range and frequency of high capacity commuter services, which will be subject to cost benefit analysis.

as Ivan Yates says manifestoes only have a shelf life of three weeks, then you have a programme for government which allows you to ditch stuff in the name of compromise/coalition.

[Thomas J Stamp]

here https://transportneeds.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/promises-promises-the-parties%E2%80%99-transport-policies/ is a comparator for the proposals in 2011

[Thomas J Stamp]

labour party manifesto is here https://www.labour.ie/manifesto/

type the word "railway" into the search box leads you here https://www.labour.ie/manifesto/a-strong-green-economy/

which doesnt mention railways.

i think its a fault, and it should be leading to the previous section on infrasctructre (pg 46 of the PDF)

within which there is in effect what I already posted:

The State is already set to dispose of 25% of its shares in AIB. We propose to use €500 million of the proceeds from this sale to fund the green
energy and infrastructure projects our country needs now.

This money will be matched by private funding, to create a new Green
Infrastructure Fund worth €1 billion. This will operate under the Irish
Strategic Investment Fund and will provide support clean public transport
and energy efficiency projects over the coming years.

Last November, we launched a €42bn capital plan – Building on Recovery.
Under this plan we will end the use of prefabs in schools; build 20,000
social housing units each year; complete the long-overdue National
Children’s Hospital; progress the construction of Metro North; and further develop the DIT campus at Grangegorman to accommodate at least
10,000 students.

Over the six years of the Capital Plan, it is estimated that around 45,000
construction jobs will be sustained through exchequer investment in
physical infrastructure alone. By bringing forward the review of the
capital plan to the end of 2016, we will seek to increase this potential
employment further.

Labour will prioritise even greater funding for infrastructural projects if
economic growth continues to exceed expectations. The latest capital plan
will be reviewed in 2016. Subject to the continued strong performance
of the public finances, we will bring forward a number of additional key
projects to expand the plan.

If finances permit, we will:
• Complete the national motorway network by better connecting
Dublin to the North-West and further developing the Atlantic
Corridor to improve connectivity between Cork, Limerick and Galway.
• Seek to bring forward commencement of construction works on
Metro North in Dublin.
• Make sure that the roll out of high speed broadband is adequately
funded.
• Carry out the flood defence works which have been planned by the
OPW
• Provide funding for further and higher education facilities that will
ensure universal access to the skills needed to benefit from our
recovery.

an interesting addendum is this

Labour supported the ratification of the Fiscal Treaty in 2012.

We believe that fiscal rules are a necessary part of currency Union.

Heretofore, the rules have been interpreted and implemented by the
Commission in an overly restrictive way. We will work with Labour and
Social Democratic parties from across Europe to support reform of the
fiscal rules for expenditure on capital and infrastructure.