Latest News

Latest news and press releases from our public reps are below.
News

Properly resourced public mental health service key to ending the stigma

Labour health spokesperson Duncan Smith has today (Monday, 10th October) on World Mental Health Day urged the government to take a lead in ending the stigma surrounding mental health by introducing a Mental Health funding grant of €20 per pupil in schools, and to adequately resource Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) once and…

10 October 2022

Ludicrous that pandemic payment is still outstanding for tens of thousands of health workers says Smith

Labour health spokesperson Duncan Smith has today (Wednesday, 28th September) called on the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly to urgently intervene over the non-payment of the pandemic recognition payment due to tens of thousands of health workers. Deputy Smith said: “36 weeks after it was announced to much fanfare by the Government, the fact that…

28 September 2022

More lives will be lost without injection centres

Labour TD for Dublin Bay North, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said today (Monday, 29th August) said the Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Well Being and National Drugs Strategy Frank Feighan must now immediately intervene to deliver mobile injection centres and said that the failure by Government to deliver injection centres is costing people…

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD
29 August 2022

Failure of Department of Health to pay Covid bonus is beyond insulting

Labour health and disability spokesperson Duncan Smith has today (Friday, 22nd July) said that the Department of Health must emerge from the shadows, take responsibility and pay tens of thousands of frontline health workers still waiting on a pandemic recognition payment. Deputy Smith said: “The fact that the Department of Health has not paid the…

22 July 2022

Removal of all hospitals charges must be in Budget 2023

Labour health spokesperson Duncan Smith has today said that the removal of all in-patient hospital changes must be included in Budget 2023. Speaking on the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, Deputy Smith said:   “Any measures that will reduce the cost of healthcare is to be broadly welcomed. However, we believe the abolition of in-patient charges…

01 July 2022

Government must prevent ‘summer of discontent’ across community sector

The Government should immediately engage with trade unions representing workers in the care and community sector following the announcement of industrial action across the sector, beginning next month, according to Labour spokesperson on health and disability, Duncan Smith. “At the weekend SIPTU members in the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) announced that they would conduct a…

28 June 2022

Minister must intervene to settle Covid test centre swabbers pay dispute

Labour health spokesperson Duncan Smith has today (Thursday, 23rd June) challenged the Minister for Health, Simon Donnelly to step up and resolve an escalating dispute between SIPTU and public health service management over a review of pay rates for Covid test centre swabbers. Deputy Smith said: “It is utterly unacceptable that the HSE and Department…

23 June 2022

Bitter pill of public sector pay restoration for the highest paid means public sector talks must restart now

Commenting on the public sector pay restoration, Labour employment spokesperson Marie Sherlock has today (Wednesday, 22nd June) said Government must urgently re-start public sector pay talks and put adequate pay increases proposals on the table for low and middle paid public sector workers. Senator Sherlock said: “Public sector unions have rightly said they will not…

22 June 2022

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