News – The Labour PartyLabour Party spokesperson on Community Arts, Councillor Rebecca Moynihan, has said that Budget 2018 does not go far enough to support the arts community. “Yesterday’s budget is a disappointing one for the arts sector. The 5% increase for the sector is a miserly attempt to lift up the sector despite soothing…

News – The Labour PartyThis Coffee Cup Budget had no central message other than self-preservation But it had no choice to do otherwise Because this Government is afraid to make choices. Beholden to Fianna Fail it ensured that every sector had a gesture. And there was a former Fianna Fail minister at the heart of…

News – The Labour PartyLabour spokesperson on Employment and Social Protection, Senator Ged Nash, has said its deeply unfair that social welfare increases announced in Budget 2018 won’t take effect until March, while tax cuts will be implemented from January. Senator Nash said: “Those who depend on the State for their income will be angered…

News – The Labour Party Labour Party spokesperson on Education, Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has said that this year’s budget exposes a total lack of vision for the third level sector. Senator Ó Ríordáin commented: “This Budget illustrates Fine Gael/Independent Alliance’s poverty of vision for free education. Nowhere is this more evident than in third…

News – The Labour PartyLabour Party Leader Brendan Howlin has expressed his concern at reports that Ireland will not win either of its campaigns to lure the European Banking Authority or the European Medicines Authority to Ireland.  Deputy Howlin commented: “While the more cynical among us might suggest there was an attempt to bury this…

News – The Labour PartyCommenting on today’s Housing Budget proposals, Labour spokesperson on Housing, Deputy Jan O’Sullivan said: “It seems particularly poignant that on World Homeless Day, the Government has not actually committed to any increase in capital spending on housing next year. “In his Budget speech today, Minister Donohue simply reiterated the previous Housing…

News – The Labour PartySpeech by Joan Burton TD in response to Budget 2018 Introduction The Minister might well have looked to Shakespeare’s plays to provide him with a title for his address today.  ‘As You Like It’ would, I guess, be his first choice, a nice romantic tale to please the punters, something, however…

News – The Labour PartyLabour Party Health spokesperson Alan Kelly has said that Budget 2018 has left Sláintecare dead in the water. Deputy Kelly said: “Following months of work, a 10 year fully costed plan to implement a publicly funded healthcare was published in May with cross party support. There was no mention of Sláintecare…