The proposal to reduce the current 14 bed Acute Psychiatric Unit in Waterford Regional Hospital to only six beds is unacceptable Labour leader Brendan Howlin has today said. Having had sight of a decision of the Mental Health Commission concerning the future of the Acute Psychiatric Unit servicing Counties Wexford and Waterford, Deputy Howlin said…

Cllr Alison Gilliland, Chairperson DCC Special Committee Fire/Ambulance Services and Emergency Management has today said: ‘Dublin Fire Brigade officers have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action to protect their Ambulance call and dispatch service from being transferred to the National Ambulance Service in Tallaght. I totally support their action and call on Dublin City Council to…

It is nearly four months since we first met in plenary. Since November, we have received some clarity as to what Brexit will mean. Our closest neighbour will leave the Single Market, and in all likelihood the Customs Union. Thousands of questions have been asked, and much remains to be answered. There are two key…

Reacting to the publication of the  Mulvey report, Labour spokesperson on urban renewal, Joe Costello has said: “I welcome the launch of the Report today which represents six months of analysis of the problems besetting the North East Inner City of Dublin and which provides a roadmap for social and economic regeneration of the area….

Commenting on the Government’s conference today ‘Corporate Tax: Fairness, Responsibility and Leadership’, Labour Party spokesperson on Finance, Joan Burton, has repeated her call for an independent standing commission on tax. Deputy Burton said: “Since the Apple judgement, I have been calling for the establishment of an independent standing commission on taxation, to review trends in…

CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY Thank you, Ceann Comhairle. The events that have lead us to this point have exposed Irish society in a way that few others issues could have done. All of this began with the relatively low-key efforts of a decent man who wanted to highlight wrongdoing within our police force. That the situation…

Speech on Private members debate on Northern Ireland and Brexit This week, we have a Government in crisis – while the UK is just weeks away from triggering Article 50. It doesn’t bode well for Ireland that the collective responsibility of our Cabinet has broken down, just as Ireland faces a challenge that will define…

Check against delivery – on Government Confidence motion. Ceann Comhairle, Since this Government was formed, I have had no confidence in it. I didn’t vote for this Government, and I have been dismayed by its performance over the last few months. When the Government was formed, I predicted it wouldn’t last a year – that…