Minister for Children Katherine Zappone must make clear her opposition to Programme for Government plans to link child benefit payments to school attendance and take steps to make sure the proposal is nipped in the bud. Under this plan, children who miss school, usually as a result of complex domestic and family issues, would be…

Labour Party Leader Joan Burton has said the Programme for Government shows this government is going to be one which lacks ambition, is unfair and afraid to tackle the big issues of our time. Deputy Burton commented: “The Programme for Government represents a bad deal for Ireland. It is incredibly irresponsible there are no costings…

Labour Party Senator Kevin Humphreys has accused Fianna Fáil of blatant hypocrisy by attacking Fine Gael over linking child benefit to school attendance, when they are the party propping up Fine Gael in government. Senator Humphreys commented: “I am completely opposed to linking child benefit to school attendance. It is a highly regressive and impractical…

IBEC SHOULD BE CONDEMNING THE ACTIONS OF THOSE WHO CLOSED DOWN CLERYS, NOT THE MOVES TO PUNISH THEM AND PROTECT WORKERS  Labour Party Senator Ged Nash has hit out at comments by employers’ body IBEC which is warning against the introduction of new legislation aimed at preventing situations such as the liquidation of Clerys.    IBEC was responding…

The Labour Party today published its Water Charges (Fair Treatment of Customers) Bill 2016. The purpose of this Bill is to ensure that, in the event of water charges being suspended, there should be fair treatment as between the majority who paid their water charges and those who did not. This Bill provides for the…

Labour Party Senator Ivana Bacik has said the government clearly does not care about repealing the 8th amendment because it has not committed to a referendum on the issue. Senator Ivana Bacik stated: “The publication of the Programme for Government will come as a major disappointment to those who want to liberalise women’s reproductive rights….

The deliberate removal from the Programme for Government, of any commitment to implement the recommendations of the McMahon report on Direct Provision is beyond disappointing. It is in fact a betrayal of the thousands of people who have found themselves languishing in Direct Provision Centres all around the country. In Government Labour oversaw the publication…

Labour Party Senator Ged Nash has said the government has abandoned low paid workers by not supporting a living wage. Senator Nash commented: “I am disappointed but not surprised that there are no plans for a living wage in the programme for government. I think it is deeply ironic that a government which has said…