It was with great sadness that I learned of the passing of former Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Peter Barry. During our time in Government together, Peter was an extremely loyal colleague, and was trusted and respected by parliamentary colleagues on all sides of the House. His central role in negotiating the Anglo-Irish Agreement…

The decision by eBay to close its operation in Dundalk is a major blow to the town and to the region. The facility will cease operations next year with the expected loss of 150 jobs. My immediate thoughts are with those who work in the facility in the town and their families at this very…

Labour Party TD for Tipperary Alan Kelly has called on the Minister for Transport Shane Ross to intervene immediately in the escalating toll operator dispute. Deputy Kelly commented: “The dispute between the Celtic Roads Group and Eflow needs to be resolved immediately before the travelling public are affected. “The Celtic Roads Group has announced they…

Today’s announcement by the CSO that there are now over 2,000,000 people at work in Ireland, is as clear an indication as we have seen to date, that the policies pursued by the last government have successfully delivered a real economic recovery for the people of Ireland. We also see a return to net inward…

The announcement by Minister Shane Ross today of a judge-led independent inquiry into the Olympic ticket scandal is a welcome recognition of the gravity of the matter, according to Sean Sherlock, speaking on behalf of the Labour Party.  “Over recent days, we have all been shocked at the unfolding fiasco in Rio. Thankfully, having met…

Labour Party Spokesperson on Children and Youth Affairs Jan O’Sullivan TD has welcomed the announcement by Minister Katherine Zappone that an Early Years Forum has been established. O’Sullivan commented: “The announcement by Minister Zappone that an Early Years Forum will meet in September to advise the Department of Children and Youth Affairs on policy to…

Over recent weeks, the Irish people have been subjected to a steady stream of allegations regarding ticket sales at the Rio Olympics. Following the arrest of Pat Hickey this morning, the reputational damage to Ireland is only increasing, according to Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin. “At the start of this fiasco, Shane Ross went mysteriously…

Labour Youth is calling for increased investment in opportunities for young people following the release of a Eurostat report this week showing that a fifth of all young people in Ireland are not in receipt of training, education or employment.  National Chairperson of Labour Youth, Grace Williams commented: “While it is heartening to see that…