The deadline to apply for school transport needs to be extended until there is clarity on how social distancing measures will work in schools according to Labour Education Spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin. Ó Ríordáin was speaking after Minister Norma Foley extended the deadline to apply for transport from Friday 31st of July to Tuesday 1st…

Labour Spokesperson on Sport, Senator Mark Wall has welcomed the opening of the application process for €70 million funding by Sport Ireland for sporting organisations through four different targeted grant schemes in response to the Covid-19 crisis.   Senator Wall said: “Sporting organisations are the backbone of our communities and they have come under severe…

The Minister for Education needs to guarantee that students with special needs won’t lose out under the roadmap to reopen schools according to Labour Education Spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin. Under the policy outlined in the roadmap, students or teachers who feel in any way unwell are required to, in the first instance, stay at home…

Who is actually in charge, and when was request made by Varadkar? Following the latest revelations about the allocation of a State car to the Minister for Foreign Affairs made on the request of the former Taoiseach, Labour Party Leader Alan Kelly said: “In the Dáil today I questioned the Taoiseach again as to whether…

The roadmap for reopening disability services should be the same as the roadmap for opening schools according to Labour Leader Alan Kelly who raised the issue with Taoiseach Michéal Martin at Leaders Questions. Deputy Kelly said: “Taoiseach, I want you to intervene directly, we are not going to leave these people behind, and it is…

Responding to the latest government u-turn on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, Labour Social Protection Spokesperson Seán Sherlock has welcomed the decision by the Minister saying common sense had prevailed but added that questions remain for the Minister about the legal standing of recent regulations and the approach of her Department. Deputy Sherlock said: “I am glad…

Labour says Financial Provisions (Covid-19) Bill should be amended to better protect workers in bailed out firms  Labour’s Finance spokesperson Ged Nash TD has brought forward amendments to today’s Finance Bill that would see strict social and employment conditions attached to access to the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme and the new Employer Wage Subsidy Scheme. …

Fianna Fáil are ‘spinning’ on the issue of rent arrears according to Labour Housing Spokesperson, Senator Rebecca Moynihan.   Moynihan was speaking after the publication of a report from the Economic and Social Research Institute examining the impact of Covid-19 on affordability in the private rental sector.   Senator Moynihan said   “Speaking in the…