News – The Labour PartyWhen Susan O’Keeffe asked me to read a Yeats poem in public for Yeats 2015 last year (the 150th anniversary of the poet’s birth), I picked Easter 1916. The line that stands out for me is “too long a sacrifice can make stone of the heart”. Our theme today comes from…

News – The Labour PartyNews that the CineMobile, Ireland’s only mobile cinema service has ceased trading is a great disappointment and will result in the denial of a local movie-going experience for the tens of thousands of visitors that it attracted each year. CineMobile has provided an invaluable service to festival goers in places like…

News – The Labour PartyEarlier today in the Dáil Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin called on the Tánaiste to provide an update on when the Youth Mental Health Task Force will be set up. Labour Youth welcomes the news that the government will make an announcement next week on the formation of the Task Force….

News – The Labour PartyI welcome the establishment by the Taoiseach today of the North Inner City Task Force. The Task Force will be charged with supporting the regeneration of the North Inner City area of Dublin. Along with my Labour Party colleague Joe Costello I called on the Taoiseach to establish this Task Force…

News – The Labour PartyThe second visit by the Taoiseach and some of his cabinet and junior ministers to the North Inner City at 4pm today to announce the establishment of the promised North Inner City Drugs Task Force is to be welcomed. The Task Force is the Government’s response to the epidemic of drug…

News – The Labour PartySpeaking in Dail during Statements on Housing Strategy It is welcome that the Government has published an Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness and that it has taken on board many of the recommendations of the Oireachtas committee. However, while it contains lots of measures, proposals and aspirations, I am concerned…

News – The Labour PartySenator Ivana Bacik today welcomed the passage of the Paternity Leave and Benefit Bill 2016 through Committee and remaining stages in the Seanad this afternoon.  Speaking on the final stage of the Bill, Senator Bacik said: “I am delighted to see the Paternity Leave and Benefit Bill become law. It was…

News – The Labour PartyHousing is undoubtedly one of the most pressing issues facing Irish society. It is important the Government’s Housing Action Plan succeeds. However it must be closely monitored. It is concerning there is nothing in the plan to stop developers hoarding land when it could be used to build urgently needed homes…