Labour leader Eamon Gilmore today refused to commit himself on the merits or otherwise of the Croke Park pay deal currently under consideration by the public sector unions.
Despite persistent questioning at a news conference in a Dublin hotel this afternoon, Mr Gilmore declined to take a stand one way or the other, arguing that it was not the function of politicians such as himself to get involved in an industrial relations issue such as this.
The news conference was called to brief the media on the forthcoming Labour national conference in Galway this weekend where the theme will be "Jobs, Reform, Fairness".
Mr Gilmore said he expected an attendance of 1,000 delegates at the three-day conference, which will take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Bailey Allan Hall in NUI Galway.
He said the conference was taking place "at a time when the country is very damaged, certainly very divided". There was a need to focus on two things: what kind of country would emerge from the recession and, when growth resumed, would it provide new jobs.
There are 147 motions tabled for the conference, on topics ranging from the economy, banking and job-creation to reform or abolition of the Seanad and the need to repeal the Government's recently-introduced legislation against blasphemy.
Mr Gilmore said Labour now had its largest number of public representatives ever, at 250. He said the party's strength in the European Parliament had tripled, with three MEPs instead of one, and there were 1,700 new party members compared with last year.
Asked if the would consider withdrawing his charge of "economic treason" against Taoiseach Brian Cowen, he replied: "I stand over what I said."
He declined to say where he stood on the future of the Seanad, either reform or abolition. However, he said he would address the issue of "institutional reform" in his remarks to the conference at the weekend.
