Burton To Step Down As Labour Leader

Joan Burton TD has announced that she is to step down as leader of the Labour Party.

In a statement released on the party's website Ms Burton said she would step down once a successor had been elected, and called on the Executive Board of the party to immediately make arrangements for the election of a new Leader under the provisions of the party constitution.

In the statement, Ms Burton said serving as leader had been a "great honour".

"In 2011, the people of Ireland asked the Labour Party to take on the responsibility of Government during the worst economic crisis this State has ever known," the statement reads.

"Like most of the party, I entered Government with both hope and fear in my heart - hope that with unyielding effort and sustained policy implementation we could turn things around; fear that the situation had already deteriorated to a point of no return.

"In the five years that followed, the Labour Party stood by the Republic, helping people back to work, safeguarding the social protection system against those who would have stripped it to the bone, building new schools across the country, and securing the funding for a new social housing programme – while all the time dealing with the morass of failed banks and toxic banking debt.

"In everything we did, our overriding focus was to bring about recovery so that families could face the future with hope rather than despair, and so that communities could once again prosper.

"Despite February's election result, I firmly believe we made the right decision in 2011."

The TD went on to say that the result of the recent election was "very disappointing" but said that the fight-back had already begun.

"In recent weeks across the country, at a series of meetings I initiated, our members have been charting the way forward for the party," Ms Burton said.

"As my time as Leader draws to a close, I would like to thank all of those who served as Ministers, TDs and Senators in the last Dail, particularly those who were not returned to the 32nd Dail.

"I would also like to thank my staff and the staff in the Labour Party for all their work.

"My gratitude too goes to the Labour Party organisation in Dublin West for their enduring support."

(MH/LM)