Type: Press
Mobile post offices could be a solution to post office closures – Mangan
Speaking in relation to the announced closure of 159 rural post offices, Labour Party candidate for Longford–Westmeath Alan Mangan spoke about the need to find a sustainable solution that can meet the needs of Ireland’s many rural dwellers. Mr Mangan said: “A potential solution that should be seriously explored is for mobile post offices to…
Read more »Directly Elected Mayor for Dublin needed now
Labour Senator Kevin Humphries has called today’s announcement that the first directly elected Mayor in Ireland will be in Cork “an insult to Dublin”. Speaking today Senator Humphries said: “The capital has been leading the campaign for a directly elected Mayor for decades. For the Minister to today announce that Dublin will not be the first city…
Read more »Armistice Day clash can be avoided
Labour Party Leader, Brendan Howlin TD has today written to the Taoiseach calling on him to change the date of the Presidential inauguration due to a clash with the centenary of Armistice Day. Deputy Howlin said: “The Government’s decision to hold the Presidential Inauguration on the same day as the centenary of Armistice Day is…
Read more »Gender Quotas needed for local elections
Labour Spokesperson on Equality, Cllr. Deirdre Kingston is calling on government to link general election target to local elections.Commenting today, Cllr. Kingston said: “Orla O’Connor’s op-ed today serves as a timely reminder of the gender inequality which exists in the candidate selection processes of political parties. Thanks to the work of Labour in government, gender…
Read more »Latest developments in Cervical Check scandal are doing nothing to restore confidence
Reacting to the delay in processing Cervical Check smears, Labour Party Health spokesperson, Alan Kelly TD, has called on the Minister for Health and the HSE to confirm that all smears carried out since July will be processed as soon as possible. Deputy Kelly said: “It is no surprise that there has been a sharp…
Read more »Ireland’s interests cannot be compromised in any Brexit deal
Speaking today in response to recent reports on Brexit negotiations, Labour Party Leader, Brendan Howlin TD, asked whether the Government have completely lost any influence over the situation. Deputy Howlin said: “The UK Prime Minister has now said the only two options are her Chequers Plan or else No Deal, while elsewhere she and her…
Read more »Any rise in the number of children homeless is unacceptable
Commenting on the July homeless figures, Labour Party Housing spokesperson, Jan O’Sullivan TD, has said the fact that 3,867 children are now homeless is unacceptable. Deputy O’Sullivan said: “This week thousands of children will be going back to school and writing stories of how they spent their summer holidays, for 3,867 children this will be…
Read more »Unemployment figures do not represent full employment – Howlin
Speaking in response to yesterday’s Labour Force Survey findings, Labour leader Brendan Howlin said that it was welcome to see over 2.25 million people in employment in Ireland, but that there are several serious problems in the labour market that are hidden beneath the surface of the statistics. “The adjusted unemployment rate of 5.8% does…
Read more »Scally Must Report This Friday as Promised – Too Many Deadlines Missed
Labour Party Health spokesperson, Alan Kelly TD, has called on the Scally report into Cervical Check to be provided to women at the centre of the controversy before its publication on Friday. Deputy Kelly said: “As August comes to an end, the Scally Report is on the minds of many who have been at the…
Read more »Post Office closures detrimental to rural living
Following the announcement today of 159 Post Office closures over the next four months, Labour Spokesperson on Rural Affairs Willie Penrose has called on An Post to reexamine the issuing of licenses to willing Postmasters. Speaking today, Deputy Penrose said: “The closure of 159 post offices over the next four months will be detrimental to…
Read more »How will Government tackle issues in our hospitals without addressing pay?
Labour Party Health spokesperson, Alan Kelly TD, has questioned how the Government plans to increase capacity in our hospitals to tackle overcrowding without addressing the issue of pay in the health sector. Deputy Kelly said: “If this summer has taught us anything, it is that hospital overcrowding is no longer just a winter phenomenon. If…
Read more »Gov should follow Scotland’s lead in tackling period poverty – Kingston
Labour Party Equality spokesperson, Deirdre Kingston, has called on the Government to follow Scotland’s lead in providing free sanitary products to students. Councillor Kingston said: “Earlier this month, the Scottish Government announced that they would be providing free sanitary products in schools and colleges to tackle period poverty in Scotland. “While we don’t pay the…
Read more »The only solution to the ongoing housing crisis is State-led action
Reacting to the report by The Economist that House prices in Dublin are 25 per cent over-valued against income (Irish Times, ‘The ‘Economist’ says Dublin house prices are 25% over-valued’, 27 August 2018), Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin said: “Pope Francis was right to visit the Capuchin Centre to highlight the issue of homelessness. As…
Read more »Minister Murphy avoiding realities of the housing crisis
Labour Party Housing spokesperson, Jan O’Sullivan TD, has accused Minister Murphy of avoiding the harsh realities of the housing crisis. Deputy O’Sullivan said: “This morning on RTÉ Radio, Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy, stated that while homeless figures are going to rise, his policies to solve the housing crisis are working. I’m not sure what…
Read more »Presidential candidates cannot ignore HPV vaccine facts
Labour Party Health Spokesperson, Alan Kelly TD, has called on potential Presidential candidates to be more responsible when commenting on vaccinations. Deputy Kelly said: “This week, thousands of young girls are starting secondary school and are due to receive the HPV vaccine in the coming weeks. Last year, we saw a rise in the uptake…
Read more »RSCA recommendations welcome but must not be privately contracted
Labour spokesperson for Transport, Senator Kevin Humphries has welcomed the Railway Safety Advisory Committee recommendation for a dedicated policing unit for railways in Ireland. Commenting today Senator Humphries said: “The recommendation of the RSAC to the Minister for Transport is very welcome. I have raised this issue with the Ministers for Justice and Transport, as well in…
Read more »Labour Chairperson rejects any idea of merging into FF/SDLP” tie-up”
Commenting on speculation by columnist Noel Whelan in today’s Irish Times, The Labour Party Chairperson, Jack O’Connor has rejected absolutely out of hand any suggestion of Labour merging into what he described as any potential “tie -up” between Fianna Fail and the SDLP. He also went on to say that in the event of a…
Read more »Minister Halligan has again failed to fix school bus system
Labour Councillor, and General Election Candidate for Waterford, John Pratt has called on Minister John Halligan to address the broken school bus transport system as parents receive refusal emails on concessionary tickets with the new school year just around the corner. Cllr. Pratt said: “Every year this issue arises and every year the Government fails…
Read more »FG don’t get it when it comes to climate change
Labour Party Transport spokesperson, Kevin Humphreys, has called on Fine Gael to stop trying to spin away Ireland’s failings when it comes to climate change. Senator Humphreys said: “Two years into this Government, Fine Gael have finally woken up to the Climate Change Advisory Council’s warning that Ireland is totally off course when it comes…
Read more »Labour calls for urgent Government action on Rent hikes
Labour Housing spokesperson Jan O’Sullivan TD has called for urgent government action on spiralling rent hikes including action to cap the rate of rent increases and changes to the eviction rules that are causing so much homelessness. The inaction by Fianna Fáil on so many policy proposals, who are keeping this government in power has…
Read more »Humphreys calls on Airbnb to release the number of Irish properties listed on site.
Labour Senator Kevin Humphreys has welcomed today’s decision from Minister Murphy to bring proposals for a clampdown on Airbnb rentals to Cabinet and has called for Airbnb to release the number of Irish properties listed on their website. Speaking today Senator Humphreys said “This is a welcome development for renters and local communities. Airbnb has…
Read more »Sherlock again calls for Government to Fix broken school bus system
Labour Spokesperson on Children Sean Sherlock TD has called again for the Government to fix the broken school bus transport system as parents receive refusal emails on concessionary tickets over the weekend with the new school year just around the corner. Deputy Sherlock said: “Every year this issue arises and every year the Government wrings…
Read more »Minister Murphy must act now to curb the worst excesses of Airbnb
Figures released today by Airbnb show that 640,000 people used short-term rentals that were operated in Ireland over this last summer period alone. Labour Senator Kevin Humphreys is calling on the Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy to act now and regulate the sector. Speaking today Senator Humphreys said: “There are an incredible number of properties…
Read more »Reforms needed to equip LC students for further education
On the eve of the Leaving Certificate results being announced, Labour Party Education spokesperson, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, has called on the Department of Education and Skills to consider adding elements to the Leaving Certificate curriculum to help students be more prepared for further education. Senator Ó Ríordáin said: “A study by Dublin City University has…
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