Up to 1,000 people are expected to descend on the Mullingar Park Hotel this weekend as the Labour Party 2016 Annual Conference gets underway on Saturday.
Tánaiste Joan Burton will be joined by party members and delegates, dignitaries, and the media for the one-day conference entitled ‘Standing Up For Ireland’s Future’.
The conference agenda includes a range of pre-election workshops and policy discussions, while RTÉ will broadcast live panel discussions hosted by Dragon’s Den star, Norah Casey, from 11am to 1pm.
Later that evening, local TD Willie Penrose will be introducing the Party Leader’s keynote speech which goes live on RTÉ 1 at 8.30pm. Speaking this week, Deputy Penrose said he was extremely proud that Mullingar was selected to host the event: “I’m looking forward to welcoming Joan Burton and the entire Labour Parliamentary Party to Mullingar this weekend, and I will be showcasing everything our town has to offer," Deputy Penrose said.
Mr Penrose said he has every confidence that the event will prove a success, and that when relevant parties sat down to decide a venue there was one clear winner. "When we as a party were looking at potential venues for the event, Mullingar came out on tops and proved a simple choice. My colleagues were particularly impressed by its proximity to Dublin and by the excellent conference facilities that were easily available.
“The influx of 1,000 or so attendees will also provide a welcome boost to the local economy, and I will be encouraging people to shop local, of course. As the final Labour conference before the General Election, I will be using it as an opportunity to convey to the people of Longford and Westmeath why returning me to Dáil Eireann once again is a good choice that will secure further economic growth in the region and more jobs.”
