Speech by Joan Burton in Dáil  Éireann on Leo Varadkar’s election as Taoiseach “On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Dublin West I want to express my congratulations and good wishes to Leo’s family – his parents Miriam and Ashock and his partner Matt. This is a very proud day for…

Labour Housing Spokesperson, Jan O’Sullivan TD, has called on the newly appointed Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy, to follow through on housing commitments made by the previous minister. Deputy O’Sullivan said the new Minister had been given a clean slate to tackle one of the biggest issues currently facing the Irish people- that of housing…

Labour Longford Westmeath TD, Willie Penrose, has welcomed the announcement that a special medal is to be awarded to the Irish soldiers who fought during the Siege of Jadotville in 1961. Deputy Penrose said: “This is a very welcome announcement that those soldiers who fought so valiantly during the Siege of Jadotville in 1961 are…

Minister Varadkar, On a personal level, I want to wish you well today. While my party cannot support your election as Taoiseach on the basis of the existing programme for Government, it is a proud day for you. Equally, I am sure it is a happy day for your partner Matthew, for your parents Ashok…

Following two announcements as in as many days demonstrating how the Eighth Amendment has yet again failed the women of Ireland, Labour Women is calling for the end of delaying tactics by the government to hold a referendum on repealing the Eighth Amendment. Chair of Labour Women Sinead Ahern commented: “Yet again after more horrific…

Taoiseach, I want to wish you well on your retirement as Taoiseach. Others, I have no doubt, will use the opportunity provided by this debate to attack you and your legacy. I won’t do that.  But neither will I embarrass either of us by presenting a hagiography of you! We served, of course, in two…

Labour member of the Oireachtas Committee on the Citizens’ Assembly, Jan O’Sullivan TD, has called on the incoming Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to commit to holding a referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment. “For the second time, the UN Human Rights Committee has ruled that our current laws surrounding abortion are ‘cruel, inhumane, degrading’. This is…

Labour Party Spokesperson on Health, Alan Kelly TD, has said that the decision by the UN Committee on Human Rights in respect of Siobhan Whelan needs to be responded to in a timely way. This is the second time in a year that Ireland has been found by the UN Human Rights Committee to have…