Addressing Labour Party public representatives   If Bill Clinton had been right – and it was all about the economy stupid – we should have fared better at the last election. But economic statistics are arid affairs and difficult to excite the public about.   And it is the case too that the debate about…

It is disrespectful to the public and our parliamentary process that the Seanad has not sat since the General Election was called over three months ago. The Seanad cannot sit again until the Taoiseach has appointed his Seanad nominees. I appreciate the importance of the Taoiseach taking time to consider his Seanad nominees. However this…

I welcome the fact that the planned strike action at Tesco stores tomorrow has been deferred as both parties involved in the dispute have agreed to return to the Workplace Relations Commission for further talks. Tesco need to listen to the legitimate and understandable concerns of their hardworking and loyal staff over proposed unilateral changes…

Speaking in the Dáil on Statements on Report of the O’Higgins Commission of Investigation CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY  I want first to join with others in thanking Mr Justice Kevin O’Higgins for this report. In the words of the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Judge O’Higgins has produced a thorough and thoughtful report which deserves the…

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…

I am encouraged the Taoiseach responded positively to my call at Leaders Questions today to establish a multi-agency task force to combat the rise of gangland crime in Dublin’s North Inner City. The North Inner City is a wonderful neighbourhood with a strong sense of community. It is unacceptable that violence and murder is now…

The killing this morning of Gareth Hutch is both a human tragedy and a shocking reflection on the ineffectiveness of law and order in the North Inner City.  It brings to five the number of revenge attacks on the Hutch family for the shooting dead of a member of the Kinahan gang in the Regency…

“Decent work agenda almost entirely absent from Programme for Government” Labour Senator Ged Nash has welcomed revised CSO figures released today which have shown a further drop in unemployment rates. However he has slammed the fact that the decent work agenda promoted by Labour is almost entirely absent from the Programme for Government. He said:…