Type: Press

With Central Bank figures showing over 14,000 households in long term arrears and at risk of repossession, Labour spokesperson on Finance Joan Burton has said it is essential that banks engage pro-actively with the mortgage to rent scheme as figures show only 318 cases in total have been completed by the end of March. Deputy…

Labour Party Equality spokesperson, Deirdre Kingston, has congratulated Together For Yes for exceeding their own fundraising targets three times in twenty four hours saying that the huge organic response shows the strength of grassroots support for the campaign. Councillor Kingston said: “In the last 24 hours, Together For Yes and over eight thousand kind and…

Labour spokesperson on Community Affairs Cllr. Andrew Montague said it is unacceptable that people should have to consider waiting for days outside a new housing development in order to secure a place, and called on the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PRSA) and the Minister for Justice to address the return of this phenomenon. Cllr Montague…

Speaking on the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin has said that the impact Brexit will have underscores the importance of the settlement reached after decades of conflict, and the need for parties to work together to ensure a lasting peace. Deputy Howlin said: “We should remember that important…

Labour Party Leader and spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Brendan Howlin TD, has called on the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, to raise the latest Israeli actions at the Gaza border at EU level. Deputy Howlin said: “We have seen a concerted response in recent weeks from the European Council in relation to Russia. “It…

On the eve of the twentieth anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, Labour Party Leader and spokesperson on Northern Ireland, Brendan Howlin TD, has said the role of the SDLP cannot be forgotten both in terms of the legacy of the agreement and the future opportunities. Commenting on this week’s speculation about…

Labour representative for Dublin Bay North, Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, expressed his bitter disappointment at the decision of An Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission for a large scale housing development at St.Paul’s land in St.Anne’s Park. Senator Ó Ríordáin said: “The decision published today is a surprising one given that all local councillors and…

Labour Party Representative for Dublin Bay South, Senator Kevin Humphreys, has called on the Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy, to clarify and publish the deal between his Department, Dublin City Council and Deloitte to provide nine hundred social and affordable homes on the Glass Bottle site in Ringsend. This comes as the receiver of the…

Labour spokesperson on Children and Youth Affairs, Seán Sherlock TD, has expressed concern over the findings of the latest HIQA report on Tusla foster care services in Dublin and Cavan/Monaghan, which was critical of the standard of care. Deputy Sherlock said: “Unfortunately this is a case of déjà vu with the latest HIQA report on…

Labour Party Education spokesperson, Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, has called on the Minister for Education and Skills, to ensure he keeps his promise to special needs assistants when it comes to announcing allocations this month. Senator Ó Ríordáin has also welcomed the establishment by Fórsa Trade Union of an institute of professional standards for SNAs….

Speaking at the Wicklow Labour Party selection convention for Jack O’Connor, Labour Party Leader, Brendan Howlin TD, has said that it is time for Fine Gael to stop dragging their feet on GP pay.  Deputy Howlin said: “There are two major issues impacting profoundly on Irish life at the moment, housing and health. The Labour…

Speaking after he was selected as the Labour Party Candidate to contest the next General Election in Wicklow, at a Selection Convention in the Glenview Hotel this evening Trade Unionist Jack O Connor described the traditional Labour values of equality and economic Justice as key to a better, fairer future in a new republic as…

Labour spokesperson on Agriculture, Willie Penrose TD, has called on the Government to provide a subsidy for farmers struggling as a result of the current fodder crisis to enable them to purchase alternative food stuff or import fodder for their livestock. Deputy Penrose said: “This has been an exceptionally long and harsh winter for farmers…

An inquiry into the debacle around Norwegian Air International’s Cork services and, in particular, the DAA’s role in this has been called for today by Deputy Alan Kelly. Reacting to the announcement that the airline is to suspend its winter services for 2018/2019. Deputy Kelly said:  “The penny has even dropped a lot sooner than…

Labour Party spokesperson on Housing and Planning, Jan O’Sullivan TD has warned that the number of people becoming homeless will continue to rise unless there is decisive and quick action from Government. It comes as the Labour Party publish their Greater Security of Tenure and Rent Certainty Bill, to give renters greater security in their…

Labour Party Education Spokesperson, Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, has called on the Minister for Education, Richard Bruton to escalate plans to tackle the teaching shortage at both primary and secondary level as well as producing a roadmap to pay equality in the teaching sector. This comes as the Teachers’ Union of Ireland has produced a…

Labour Party Leader and Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Brendan Howlin TD, has supported the call of the UN Secretary General for an investigation into the death of a dozen or more Palestinian protestors on Friday last.  However, the Labour Leader criticised the response of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney,…

Labour spokesperson on Education Aodhán Ó RÍordáin has heavily criticised Fianna Fáil for speaking out of both side of their mouths on pay inequality. Senator Ó Ríordáin was speaking ahead of today’s INTO conference in Killarney which he is attending. “Pay inequality for newly qualified teachers was introduced by Fianna Fáil in 2011 and remains…

Nearly 100 years since then Labour leader Tom Johnson presented the Democratic Programme to the first Dáil, the Labour Party will tonight begin a journey toward imagining a new vision for the Ireland of the next 100 years. Members of the public, groups, organisations, and all who share the Labour Party’s commitment to a fairer…

Labour spokesperson on Housing, Deputy Jan O’Sullivan, has slammed the latest homeless figures as being ‘shocking’ and ‘unacceptable’ and says the Government needs to start supplying social and affordable housing as a matter of urgency. Deputy O’Sullivan said: “I am appalled at the latest figures which show more than 1,700 families and nearly 4,000 children…

Labour Party Equality spokesperson, Councillor Deirdre Kingston, has said that the outcome and commentary surrounding the outcome of the Paddy Jackson/Stuart Olding trial should not deter victims from coming forward and shows why victims need enhanced protection. Councillor Kingston said: “The coverage of the trial both online and in our media over the last eight…

Labour Youth welcomes the Board of Trinity College’s decision to make concessions on two of the Take Back Trinity Movement’s demands – to scrap the unfair €450 charge for supplemental exams and granting fee certainty fees for postgraduate and international students. Labour Youth further commends the power of the Take Back Trinity movement and the…

Commenting on the publication of the CSO’s review of Garda Crime figures, Labour TD and Vice Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Alan Kelly said: “The revelation that the number of homicides being recorded by the Gardaí since 2003 are completely wrong needs to be independently investigated. “The CSO have now found that 234 more…

The Labour Party will this evening use its Private Members time in the Dáil to call for unanimous support for the HPV vaccine programme to help protect against cervical cancer and to support the rollout of the vaccination for young boys. Speaking ahead of the debate, Labour spokesperson on health, Alan Kelly TD, commented: “Every…