Labour spokesperson on children, Senator Ivana Bacik, has again urged Government to implement a €100 million ‘Catch Up for Children’ scheme to make up for lost time in the classroom, and has warned that this year’s Summer Provision programme must be a success in order to offset the effects of prolonged school closures in 2020…

Labour Spokesperson on Higher and Further Education, Senator Annie Hoey, has called for Minister Harris to rectify the unfair decision to allow the Pandemic Unemployment Payments (PUP) to be counted towards students SUSI grant applications. Senator Hoey said: “It came to my attention last year that students who have been in receipt of PUP were…

The Minister needs to intervene immediately and apply a rent freeze until there rents continue to fall, said Labour Housing spokesperson Rebecca Moynihan. The loophole in the legislation that a double rent increase could be applied in July further highlights a Government totally out of touch with ordinary people. With a housing crisis continuing to…

Why hasn’t Minister for Health asked NIAC yet? With a NIAC letter showing they are keeping the gap between doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine under review, Labour Party Leader Alan Kelly has called again on the government to submit a formal request for a review after the Health Minister wasn’t clear in the Dáil today….

Welcoming NUI Galway’s move to become the first institute of higher education to launch a Domestic Abuse Leave policy, Labour Senator Annie Hoey said Government must stand to attention and consider the implementation of such leave in employment law. Senator Hoey reiterated the call to introduce a dedicated Minister with responsibility for domestic, sexual and…

After long consideration of the available options, the Labour Party group of Councillors on Fingal County Council have decided to vote for the Ballymastone project. This development will deliver 476 social and affordable homes. A number of commitments were secured that were necessary in the absence of sufficient capital investment from the Government and the Housing…

60-70 year olds will be waiting 3 months for greater protection. First dose of AstraZeneca only provides 33% protection. Speaking in the Dáil today, Labour leader Alan Kelly asked that NIAC be requested by the government to look again at the current vaccination advice on AstraZeneca especially for those aged over 60 in light of…

Labour Senator Ivana Bacik has urged Government to reconsider its position on the new National Maternity Hospital to ensure that governance of the hospital will not be influenced by any religious doctrinal ethos. Commenting today, Senator Bacik said: “Unless this hospital is built on State-owned land, concerns remain that a Catholic religious ethos will hold…