Yesterday, what we heard from Minister Paschal Donohoe was a budget without a purpose.We heard a weak, spiritless and conservative budget. There was no vision. And there should have been one. Budget 2019 is not like recent budgets.This was the first budget since 2007 where the Government genuinely had real scope to bring about positive…

Labour Children spokesperson Séan Sherlock has criticised the failure of the Minister for Children to clearly outline to parents what the changes in Budget 2019 on Affordable Childcare Scheme will mean. There is no one-stop-shop or information source available where parents can find out what they are entitled to under the Affordable Childcare Scheme. Deputy…

Labour Spokesperson on Health, Alan Kelly TD has called on the Minister to provide free access to counselling for young people under 25. Speaking today Deputy Kelly Said: “Today is World Mental Health Day and should give us all pause to consider how far we have come in destigmatising Mental Health issues in Ireland and…

Labour Spokesperson on Climate Action Seán Sherlock TD has slammed the Government for negating its responsibility to act on Climate Change. “This was a missed opportunity to tackle the scourge of single-use plastics. Ireland is the third worst performer in the EU on carbon emissions. On average, we produce 13.5 tonnes of CO2 per person. That’s…

Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin has said that the Government have completely ignored Rosslare Port in Budget 2019. Deputy Howlin said: “Giving his Budget 2019 speech, Paschal Donohoe managed to name every major port in the country when it comes to Brexit preparations bar Rosslare Port. This is shocking and a sign that this Government…

If it looks like an election budget, if it sings like an election budget, if Leos’s choir cheers it like an election budget, well then it is an election budget. As I listened today I couldn’t help feeling a sense of déjà vu. It was Minister Pascal Donohue who was delivering the speech but it…

Labour Education spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has criticised the failure of FG and FF to commit to investing in education. There is only an additional €119m in new funding or less than 1% out of a Budget of over €10bn. Senator Ó Ríordáin said: “This is a deeply disappointing Budget for Education. The Fine Gael…

Labour Childcare Spokesperson Seán Sherlock, TD has called for clarity on the widening of Affordable Childcare Scheme thresholds as to who will be entitled to additional support and criticised the Government for not addressing the staffing crisis in childcare. Deputy Sherlock said: “The news that the Affordable Childcare Scheme thresholds are to be increased to…