Statement from the Labour Party

Today, Labour Party Leader, Ivana Bacik TD, made a statement after the first meeting of the new Parliamentary Labour Party of eleven TDs, two outgoing Senators and one MEP. She spoke about Labour values – equality, solidarity and fairness – which formed the basis for Labour’s election campaign and for the Labour Party manifesto which seeks to shape a better Ireland.

She also reiterated her previous commitment that, under her leadership, Labour would not enter government merely to prop up any of the three larger parties.

 

Deputy Bacik said:

“The Labour Party is serious about the need to deliver change for our country.  That can best be achieved from a position of strength.

“I have made clear my priority at this stage is to work to form a progressive, left-of-centre bloc with like-minded parties.  This collaboration would enable us to bring a strong agreed agenda for change to any negotiating table to put to the three larger parties.”

“The Parliamentary Labour Party agreed the following policy priorities as the initial basis for a common platform or agenda for change.

“Tomorrow I will meet with the Social Democrats to explore further the potential for developing this common platform.”

 

LABOUR PRIORITIES FOR GOVERNMENT

Core principles Labour wants at the heart of a centre left block are:

1. The need for a stronger, more active role by the State in resolving the challenges our country faces.
2. A focus on investing in public services and infrastructure over unsustainable tax cuts that narrow the revenue base.
3. A Programme for Government that commits to the following policy priorities:

HOUSING

Providing affordable homes is the civil rights issue of this generation.  Labour Priorities:

• Create a State Construction Company and resource a plan to deliver 50,000 new build homes a year.
• Give renters stronger rights and security to keep people in their homes.
• End the scourge of dereliction and vacancy across our towns and cities and introduce much stronger compulsory purchase order powers.

CLIMATE

The climate crisis threatens the future of our planet and the next programme for government must meet Ireland’s emission reduction targets and carbon budgets and provide tangible benefits to families and communities. Labour Priorities:

• A massive street-by-street retrofitting programme for homes, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions.
• Cheaper and more reliable public transport, delivery of major mass transit projects, and high-quality cycle routes to reduce private car use.
• Direct State investment in offshore wind projects to ensure our energy grid is fossil free.

WORK

Work should be rewarding, safe, and secure yet thousands of workers in Ireland are still in low pay or getting a bad deal. Labour Priorities:

• Introduce a living wage that will be tied to 66% of median hourly earnings and use the public procurement budget and stronger Joint Labour Committees to address low pay.
• Give employees a right to trade union recognition and collective bargaining, flexible work, and the freedom to upskill, and regulate AI use in the workplace.
• Expand paid leave for parents up to a full year and legislate for new leave to cover time off work due to pregnancy loss or fertility treatment.

HEALTH

Implement the Sláintecare plan to transform our health service and make the substantial investment in healthcare that our communities need.  Labour Priorities:

• Add an extra 5,000 acute beds over term of next government and expand community care to tackle overcrowding and improve our hospital conditions.
• Introduce safe staffing, resolve the recruitment and retention crisis and ensure healthcare staff are truly valued to reduce waiting lists.
• Expand free GP care to all children under 18.

CHILDREN’S CHARTER

Build a society where every child has an equal start and is empowered to achieve their full potential.  Labour Priorities:

• Guarantee an early years place for every child and commence delivering a publicly-provided universal childcare system.
• Take decisive action to tackle waiting lists for disability assessments, therapies and mental health services and introduce an Autism Guarantee to ensure every child with additional needs has access to an appropriate school place and the supports they need.
• End the scandal of child poverty and child homelessness.
• Introduce a DEIS+ scheme and make education truly free.

COST OF LIVING

Stronger supports are essential for struggling households.  Labour Priorities:

• Automatic indexing of income tax credits and social welfare payments each year to beat inflation, abolish the means test on carer’s allowance and introduce a cost of disability payment.
• Lower electricity prices to the European average and tackle energy poverty.
• Crack down on price gouging and stealth price hikes with stronger regulation.

UKRAINE

Labour is committed to continued support for the people of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s brutal war.

GAZA

Labour is committed to passage of the Occupied Territories Bill without delay; and to strengthening sanctions against Israel and support for Palestine.

 

ENDS

 

The Parliamentary Labour Party also confirmed the following officeholders:

Chairperson: Ged Nash TD

Dáil Whip: Duncan Smith TD

Deputy Dáil Whip: Conor Sheehan TD

Seanad Director of Elections: Mark Wall TD