Labour Party Senator and spokesperson for Employment Affairs, Marie Sherlock has today (29th September) called on the Government and Dublin City Council to act with urgency to fix the stalled recruitment process in Dublin Fire Brigade. Senator Sherlock said: “The under-staffing in Dublin Fire Brigade means that there are on average 3-4 fire engines that…

Labour defence spokesperson Mark Wall has demanded a debate on the future of the Defence Forces in the Seanad. Speaking following the Budget, Senator Wall said there is a crisis in the Forces at present, with Force numbers heading below 8,000 for the first time in many years. Senator Wall said: “The single biggest threat…

Labour spokesperson on Further and Higher Education Annie Hoey said the paltry increase of €500 in stipends for PhD staff will leave workers below the breadline. Senator Hoey said until a Living Wage is provided to all PhD staff we will continue to see an exodus of researchers from this country. Senator Hoey said: “The…

Labour leader Ivana Bacik said today that the Budget produced by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil is little more than a Treadmill Budget – just running to stand still. Deputy Bacik said: “Yesterday’s Budget presented the Government with an opportunity to provide a lifeline to the tens of thousands of people for whom Ireland now…

Admission they don’t look at profitability of sectors with most minimum wage workers Labour’s Worker’s rights spokesperson Marie Sherlock has today (Wednesday, 28th September) expressed grave concerns over the Low Pay Commission’s admission about how they assess the appropriate national minimum wage. Speaking following a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise Trade and…

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…

As a country, we are unrecognisable from the young, poor and conservative State we were when the tricolour was first raised over Dublin Castle in 1922. We are now richer than we have ever been in our history. More liberal, open, diverse, welcoming and confident as a society than anyone could have imagined even half…

• Budget more about buying time for an out of touch Government Labour employment spokesperson Marie Sherlock has said Budget 2023 provides little comfort for low paid and disabled workers and that the Government has again failed to recognise the massive challenges they face. Senator Sherlock said: “Low paid single workers earning between €23k and…