AN all-island football league will be the first step to a united Ireland if Labour manage to get into Government, party leader Ivana Bacik has revealed.
And a minister in charge of preparing for unification will be among the resurgent party’s demands if they form part of the next coalition.
The new Department of Unification has been put forward in their manifesto, with a Minister of State in charge of this new department charged with preparing for a united Ireland by putting together a white paper and citizen’s assemblies to examine the possibility.
The Dublin Bay South TD wants to introduce this in Government — even though it goes against the wishes of the UK Labour leader Keir Starmer who has made clear to her that he wants the North to remain in the union.
Labour leader Ms Bacik told The Irish Sun: “I’ve had bilateral meetings with Keir Starmer. I sent him a letter about the need for reunification.
“There is a fundamental difference that we have with British Labour and that is they are a party that believes in the union and he’s made that clear to me as has Hillary Benn with whom I’ve a very good relationship.
“But you know they have a very different view and we have very different views on Gaza to them as well.
“While we are within the international socialist movement, we have very different policies on many issues.
“I think whoever is in government in Britain, it will be a case of the Irish Government having to play a really strong role in bringing the British government to the point where we see a unity referendum being held across the island.”
Part of the Minister for Unification’s job could be pushing for the establishment of an all-island football league — a measure Labour say they will also push for in Government.
The idea of merging the League of Ireland and the Irish Premiership in the North has been floated in the past but never got anywhere.
Ms Bacik believes Labour can help make it happen.
She said: “We want to build on what we see in other sports where there is already an all-island approach taken.
“Football for unique historical reasons has obviously developed differently. We want to change that.
“It will be part of that overall reunification project. We are conscious that the League of Ireland has been a poor relation when it comes to funding, when it comes to support from the State.
“We think this could be a way of building greater support and ensuring that there is access to good sports funding.”
As Fine Gael and Fianna Fail eye up Labour as potential coalition partners, Ms Bacik has set out her key priorities and revealed who will be the first leader she calls if voters back her party in the election.
In a wide ranging interview with The Irish Sun, the Labour leader also outlined her fears that the rise of the far right in Europe will spread to Ireland with a Swedish politician recently warning her “we thought it would never happen here too”.
Labour suffered a ballot box bruising after their last stint in Government going from 37 TDs down to just seven in 2016, but despite this Ms Bacik believes they are ready to return to office.
The Dubliner says her party wants to go into Government to make real change instead of permanently sniping from the side-lines in Opposition — a dig at other groups who’ve never gone into coalition.
She is setting out a clear promise to voters — Labour will invest in public services, back workers and support children by tackling wait lists for assessments, services and healthcare.
WHAT IS A GENERAL ELECTION & WHEN DOES ONE TAKE PLACE?
A GENERAL election is held in Ireland at least every five years in order to vote for who will represent the Irish public in Dail Eireann.
As Ireland is a parliamentary democracy, voting must be held in order for the public to collectively choose who will represent people in Government and what parties will form the Government.
In a General Election, the public votes for members of Dail Eireann who go on to become Teachta Dala – TDs.
According to the Irish Constitution – a General Election must be held every five years and cannot go on for longer than five years.
However, the Dail can be ‘dissolved’ at any time to call an early or snap election.
The President is responsible for dissolving the Dail and this process usually takes place on the advice of the Taoiseach.
The President can only refuse to dissolve the Dail if the government does not have a majority of TDs in the Dail.
A General Election can also be called if the Taoiseach or Government lose a vote of no confidence.
Or in the instance where a coalition party – the smaller party that joins with larger parties to form a government – withdraws its support for those in government.
This is called a dissolution and a general election must take place within 30 days of the dissolution of the Dail.
Once the Dail is dissolved a polling day must be set by the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government – the roll currently held by Fianna Fail TD Darragh O’Brien.
Housing is the party’s number one priority and they want the Land Development Agency transformed into a national construction company that will employ builders to build homes on State land.
Labour are showing some signs of a resurgence in the polls and their party leader is hopeful they can make gains and come back to the Dail with more than their current six seats.
Reports recently suggested that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are considering trying to court Labour as potential coalition partners to replace the Greens if the results fall their way.
However, Ivana bats this away and is heavily critical of the rows between coalition partners Fianna Fail and Fine Gael that have dominated the election campaign so far.
‘DISRESPECTFUL TO VOTERS’
She said: “It’s not credible. It’s disrespectful to voters. People are increasingly annoyed about it on the doors because nobody believes it.”
The Labour leader is clear that if her party does get support in the election, then her first calls will be to the leaders of the Greens and the Social Democrats.
She wants to create a “left block” to come together and compete with the big three parties in any Government formation talks.
Ivana told us: “When the people have spoken, I will sit down with the leaders of the Greens and Social Democrats and centre left parties and groupings to try and forge a common platform so that we can go into any talks on Programme for Government formation with a critical mass of numbers.
“I think whoever is in government in Britain, it will be a case of the Irish Government having to play a really strong role in bringing the British government to the point where we see a unity referendum being held across the island.”
Ivana Bacik
“My concern is that the next Government will be two of the three biggest parties propped up by a group of right wing independents.
“I think that will set back policies on climate, on housing, on childcare, on education.”
The Labour Party has been one of the most vocal voices against the anti-immigration movement that has seen a number of protests outside asylum seeker accommodation centres across the country.
The party leader confesses that she is worried about the rise of the far right in Ireland.
FAR RIGHT FEARS
She said: “I spoke to a Swedish MP recently from the Socialist Party and he asked me about the far right in Ireland.
“I said we’d been fortunate as they haven’t made a major breakthrough and he said ‘you remind me of where we Swedes were 10 years ago. We thought it would never happen in Sweden — and look they are now in Government’.
“So it was chilling to me because we think we are somehow exceptional in Ireland and the reality is that the far right are gaining ground across Europe and we need to stand firm and united on the left against them.”
Asked about the claim that anyone who voices concern about immigration is labelled far right, Ivana says people rightfully raise the issue with her all the time in ways that are not extreme or racist.
‘SERVICES ARE SQUEEZED’
She said: “Often it comes up in the context of people saying, ‘I can’t get a house’ or our services are squeezed and that is relaying a concern.
“It is absolutely not racist and what we do is we speak very directly and in an engaged manner about building up our services.
“And to do that, ironically, we need more people to come here.
“The latest estimate says there is between 20,000 to 80,000 more workers needed in the construction industry so we have to recruit from abroad.
My grandfather was a refugee from the Czech Republic and built up Waterford Glass.
There is a plaza named in his honour now in Waterford City.
“That shows the enormous positive impact of migration and one way I often try is to say to people ‘have you been in a hospital recently with a relative’? How many of the nurses have you seen from abroad?”
