News – The Labour PartySpeaking on behalf of the Labour Party Deputy Sean Sherlock commented: “The Labour Party intends to support the passage of the Fianna Fáil Variable Rate Mortgage Bill to committee stage. “In the spirt of the new dispensation that exists in Dáil Eireann Labour believes that this Bill, is worthy of further…

News – The Labour PartyLabour Party Leader Joan Burton TD said today that the law does not prevent Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan from clarifying the instructions she gave her legal team at the O’Higgins Commission of Investigation. She said there was serious public disquiet about the claim that, although in public Ms Sullivan had said…

News – The Labour PartyLabour Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has joined calls for the government to appoint a dedicated Drugs Minister this week. “The drugs crisis that is affecting every corner of this country needs a dedicated drugs minister to tackle it. “I was proud as Drugs Minister in the last government to be able…

News – The Labour PartyIt is completely unacceptable for Minister Finian McGrath to argue that the smoking ban in public places should be relaxed. Speaking on national radio this morning Finian McGrath stated that pubs and restaurants should be allowed to reintroduce designated smoking areas. I believe as a society we should do our upmost…

News – The Labour PartyTaoiseach Cannot Appoint Bill-Dodging Halligan As Junior Minister – Kelly Taoiseach Enda Kenny must seek a guarantee from John Halligan that he will comply with the law by paying for his water. In the absence of such a guarantee, it would be completely unacceptable for the Taoiseach to appoint Deputy Halligan…

News – The Labour PartySpeaking at the James Connolly Commemoration Arbour Hill, It is a privilege to be here as Labour Party Leader at this event. I’m here too on a more personal level as the grand- daughter of James Burton, railway worker and number 73 on Dr Ann Matthew’s Citizen Army membership roll. This…

News – The Labour PartyThe previous Government was faced with a breakdown of public trust in the ability of our policing institutions to properly police themselves and their own members. The Government inherited a system involving a ‘confidential recipient’, to whom Gardaí were supposed to submit concerns about malpractice, that was shown to be manifestly…

News – The Labour PartyFears expressed by arts practitioners this week, that the arts have been downgraded and sidelined in the new government department configuration, seem to be well founded. Not only has the arts portfolio been further diluted by cramming more and more responsibilities into the same department, but the Programme for Government published…