Type: Press

Welcoming the appointment today of road safety advocates to the RSA Board, Labour spokesperson on Transport, Senator Kevin Humphreys has called on Minister Ross to continue this approach and appoint an advocate for cyclists to reverse the 50% increase in cyclist deaths seen in 2017. Senator Humphreys said: “The move by Minister Ross to appoint…

Welcoming the move to develop a further 39 affordable homes in Ballymun by a housing cooperative, Labour spokesperson on Community Affairs and representative for Dublin North West, Cllr Andrew Montague has called for more action from the Government to deliver affordable housing. Cllr Montague said: “Last year 49 affordable homes were built by the groundbreaking…

Labour Party Leader and spokesperson on Northern Ireland, Brendan Howlin TD, has called on the Sinn Féin leader in waiting, Mary Lou McDonald to break her silence on the video posted by West Tyrone MP Barry McElduff. Deputy Howlin said: “The video by Sinn Féin MP Barry McElduff provided a glimpse into the mindset of…

Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin said today that the fate of Tyrone MP Barry McElduff constituted the first test of the new Sinn Féin leadership of Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill. He said it is simply not acceptable that Sinn Féin’s new leadership do nothing about this incident. Mr Howlin said: “Mr McElduff’s assertions…

It is with deep sadness that I’ve learnt of the premature passing of Peter Sutherland. Peter was an Irish giant on the international stage but a man who never forgot where he came from. While we may have had political differences, his commitment to internationalism and multilateralism through his career was consistent and deeply felt….

Labour Youth has today condemned the reappointment of Conor Skehan as Chair of the Housing Agency.  Commenting, Labour Youth Chairperson, Chloe Manahan expressed extreme concern over the appointment of anyone who considers the current housing and homelessness crisis as normal and accuses families of “gaming” the system.  “To see Mr. Skehan’s reappointment for another year…

Labour spokesperson on Health and member of the Oireachtas committee on the Future of Healthcare, Alan Kelly TD, has said the Government must set a clear timeline for the implementation of Sláintecare reforms. It comes after details of the Bed Capacity Review Report published in the Irish Times, showed the report found significantly less additional…

Labour TD for Longford Westmeath, Willie Penrose, has called on the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation and the IDA, to redouble efforts to secure jobs for the Midlands. It comes as last year’s IDA results showed just 2% of FDI jobs are in the region, which also had the smallest increase in IDA supported…

Labour Party spokesperson on Employment and Social Protection, Ged Nash, has said that the Low Pay Commission should now be re-tooled and given a target for all workers to be paid a Living Wage by 2021. The current rate of the Living Wage is €11.70 per hour. Senator Nash said: “I set up the Low…

Commenting on the end of year summary of the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA), Labour spokesperson on Urban Regeneration Joe Costello, said: “NAMA’s end of year statement provides much food for thought. “NAMA was established in 2010 as a bad bank to clear up the indebted property mess in the wake of the departing Celtic…

As schools across the country prepare to re-open next week following the Christmas break, Labour Party spokesperson on Health, Alan Kelly TD, has said that the Departments of Health and Education need to immediately issue clear advice on the flu outbreak so that it is comprehensively circulated over the weekend. Deputy Kelly said: “With schools…

Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin has called for an explanation as to why the last minute visit by the Taoiseach to visit the Hungarian leader Victor Orbán was kept secret until now, and why the Dáil wasn’t informed of this visit on 13th December in response to a Parliamentary Question. He said that Ireland needs…

Today Deputy Brendan Howlin met some of the victims of convicted paedophile Bill Kenneally. The victims have expressed their serious concern and dismay that the Commission of Inquiry into the handling of complaints and other issues surrounding the abuse of boys by Kenneally, which was to be up and running last year, is in effect…

Labour Finance spokesperson Joan Burton has welcomed the Exchequer surplus but said it highlights the urgent need to increase targeted investment to tackle the crises in health and housing. Deputy Burton said: “The Exchequer surplus of nearly €2 billion is good news, and flattered by the sale of AIB shares, but it stands in stark…

Dublin Labour Cllr Mary Freehill who represents Rathmines and Terenure has called for the urgent restoration of the No 14, 15 and 140 bus routes via St. Stephens Green following the completion of LUAS Cross City construction works. Cllr Freehill said: “With the completion of LUAS Cross City it is now time for the urgent…

Labour spokesperson on Transport, Senator Kevin Humphreys, has said that the 50 per cent rise in the number of cyclists’ deaths on Irish roads last year shows more needs to be done to make cycling safer here. Fifteen cyclists were killed last year according to the latest fatal collision data from the Road Safety Authority….

Commenting on the trolley crisis Labour Party Health spokesperson, Alan Kelly TD, has said that we need to see a recalibration in our health service from acute care to community-based care. Deputy Kelly said: “The latest INMO trolley watch figures show that 677 people are laying on trolleys in our hospitals. This figure is the…

Labour spokesperson on Education, Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has called on the Government to stop delaying proposals on school admissions and bring forward it’s legislative proposals as soon as possible to end the baptism barrier. Sen. Ó Ríordáin said: “It is now six months since the Minister for Education set out his approach to remove…

Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin has described the Government’s response to the crisis in the Department of Justice as farcical and not a real separation, and that the latest remarks from the Taoiseach and Minister are simply a reheating of Toland recommendations that should have been implemented years ago. Deputy Howlin said: “A Department is…

Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin has said the suggestion by the Taoiseach that wage growth posed a threat to the Irish economy are bizarre and out of touch with reality. Deputy Howlin said: “Why it is for Fine Gael that economic growth and profits are ok but that growth in wages is not? “The reality…

Labour Finance spokesperson Joan Burton has said it is beyond time that the Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe responded to the concerns of Section 39 workers before a strike becomes inevitable in these vital health services after the failure to address the issue in the Budget, or HSE service plan for 2018. Deputy Burton…

Labour Party Leader and spokesperson on foreign affairs Brendan Howlin has said today that the United Nations cannot be made subject to the financial threats by the current US administration, or any other country. His comments come as the United States threatens a $285m reduction in the UN Budget. Deputy Howlin said:  “Already we’ve see…

Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin has said the Irish Government must immediately make clear that they will vote to condemn at the UN the provocative decision of the US President, Donald Trump, to relocate the US Embassy to Israel, to Jerusalem. Deputy Howlin said: “As I made clear at the time, and as has unfortunately…

Labour Party spokesperson on Finance, Joan Burton TD, has said the revised figure of those affected by the tracker mortgage scandal shows how widespread the issue actually was, and that the scale of customers impacted shows the need for an independent investigation into how it occurred. The Central Bank has today revealed around 33,700 mortgage…