Labour Party Meet For Think-In

The Labour Party are meeting in Waterford today for their annual 'think-in' ahead of the resumption of the Daíl in October.

Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore, along with Labour Party's TDs, Senators and MEPs have gathered to discuss strategy and topics especially a number of current issues, especially the Government's plan to establish the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA).

Yesterday, the Labour Party Spokesperson on Finance, Joan Burton, outlined the party's current position on the pivotal issue saying the next 100 days could be "the most interesting times an independent Ireland has seen yet".

"Never before since independence has so much been at stake," she said.

Labour is currently in favour of a plan to nationalise the main Irish banks and has argued that this will effectively happen anyway under the NAMA proposal.

However, the party believes NAMA represents a major gamble with "enormous and irreversible" risks to the taxpayer.

The meeting coincides with the other main opposition party, Fine Gael, hosting their own strategy meeting.

The Fine Gael Parliamentary Party meeting in Cavan is into its third day today, with the party revealing what its focus issues will be during the next general election.

An alternative approach to the banking crisis and healthcare will be the party's flagship policies, with TDs and Senators discussing the two issues in advance of the resumption of the Dáil next month.

A Dutch health expert is expected to address the meeting with the party's Fair Care health policy based on the Dutch model of universal health insurance.

Fine Gael is opposing the controversial NAMA project, but its own suggested solution of a national recovery bank has not yet secured many supporters outside the party.

Party leader Enda Kenny addressed the Cavan delegation yesterday, saying Fine Gael had the people, the plans and the energy to get Ireland working again.

(DW/GK)