Type: Press

Following the news that the Rape Crisis Network will not be able to provide statistics on 2016, and that the Government has pulled funding for a new Sexual Abuse and Violence Study, Labour spokesperson on Equality, Cllr Deirdre Kingston has called for the €1 million to be provided to ensure a full picture of the…

Beaumont A&E gets funding for design work in 2018 but NOT for building. Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has cautiously welcomed the announcement that the design stage for a new Emergency Department in Beaumont Hospital is finally getting the go-ahead. However he said that a commitment is now needed that the money will be available to…

Labour spokesperson on Justice, Sean Sherlock TD has called on the Ministers for Justice and Communications respectively to take action on the huge number of fraudulent calls that are plaguing people across Ireland. Deputy Sherlock said: “Four weeks ago I raised with the Minister for Justice the measures that have been taken to combat digital…

Labour Party member of the Eighth Amendment Committee, Jan O’Sullivan TD has criticised the Government’s lack of clarity on regulating rogue crisis pregnancy agencies Deputy O’Sullivan commented: “Yet again today, the Taoiseach was unable to provide any clarity as to when regulations will be introduced on rogue crisis pregnancy agencies. The Taoiseach said it is…

Labour Party Equality spokesperson Councillor Deirdre Kingston has said the decision to downgrade the position of Head Coach to the Irish Women’s Rugby team to a part-time role is a disappointing one. “It is especially disappointing to see the IRFU downgrade this position after the really successful Women’s World Cup that was hosted in Ireland…

Labour leader, Brendan Howlin TD has said the thousands of bank customers affected by the tracker mortgage scandal should be given a clear timeline as to when the issue will be fixed and they’ll be compensated. Deputy Howlin raised the issue with the Taoiseach during Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil today. Deputy Howlin said: “We…

Labour Transport spokesperson, Dublin Senator Kevin Humphreys, has expressed concern over reports that disruption to Luas services caused by Hurricane Ophelia was exacerbated due to the co-location of the control room and back-up facility at the same site. The light rail service only resumed last night due to storm damage at the Red Cow depot,…

Labour Party spokesperson on Sport, Councillor Mark Wall has said the decision of the Olympic Council of Ireland to terminate their contract with THG is welcome. Councillor Wall said: “It is good news for Irish sport that following mediation the OCI has terminated their contract with THG. This will now hopefully close the chapter on…

Labour leader Brendan Howlin TD has welcomed committment from the Taoiseach today on the issuing guidelines for the private sector in the event of another national red alert situation. The Taoiseach was responding to a question from Deputy Howlin during Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil this afternoon. Deputy Howlin said: “Thankfully we saw many companies…

Labour Party Education spokesperson Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has called on the government to assure Special Needs Assistants receive timely and proper assurances surrounding job security. It follows a ballot carried out by Impact trade union that 97% of SNAs have voted to take strike action following delays to SNA allocation. Senator Ó Ríordáin commented:…

Labour Party Health spokesperson Alan Kelly TD has criticised the low numbers of nursing staff being recruited by the HSE. Deputy Kelly said: “HSE figures show that there has been a net increase of just 13 nurses in the health service so far this year – despite a pledge to recruit 1,224 more full-time staff…

Labour Women are today welcoming Brendan Howlin’s strong statement on the repeal of the 8th amendment. Commenting Labour Women Chair Sinead Ahern said “For over 30 years the Labour Party has said that the constitution is no place for a provision on abortion. “This is not just a liberal issue, it is one of social justice….

Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin has today called on Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to make a Dáil statement on the progress of the Brexit talks. Deputy Howlin said: “Reports from yesterday’s negotiation session between the EU and the UK are disturbing.  Insufficient progress is being made to progress to more substantive talks. “Yet, Ireland is being…

Labour spokesperson on Community Affairs and General Election candidate in Dublin North West, Cllr Andrew Montague has described Fianna Fáil’s hypocrisy on land hoarding as ‘unbelievable’ following their abstention in 2016 on Labour’s bill to implement the Kenny Report and bring forward the vacant site levy by a year to 2018, and their own recent…

Labour Health spokesperson, Alan Kelly TD, has said the Government is once more demonstrating spin over substance when it comes to its commitment on Sláintecare. It follows media reports that today’s Cabinet meeting in Cork will focus on the ten-year plan for the health service, despite no mention of Sláintecare in Tuesday’s Budget. Deputy Kelly…

Labour TD for Westmeath, Willie Penrose TD has welcomed the commitment from Minister Denis Naughton to review the criteria for the connection of rural towns to the natural gas grid having raised the issue in the Dáil. Deputy Penrose wants to know if the criteria will be revised to ensure towns such as Kinnegad, Kilbeggan,…

Labour Party spokesperson on Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Jan O’Sullivan TD has called on the Government, in advance of Brexit, to establish a scheme to support Irish retailers to set up online e-commerce sites as a matter of urgency. Deputy O’Sullivan said: “With the threat of Brexit looming, online shopping is taking more and more…

Labour Leader Brendan Howlin has today written to the Standards in Public Office Commission, seeking advice relating to the budget announced for the Taoiseach’s personal spin operation in Budget 2018. Speaking this morning, Deputy Howlin said: “One of the greatest surprises contained in this Budget was the allocation of €5m to fund the Strategic Communications…

Labour Party spokesperson on Community Arts, Councillor Rebecca Moynihan, has said that Budget 2018 does not go far enough to support the arts community. “Yesterday’s budget is a disappointing one for the arts sector. The 5% increase for the sector is a miserly attempt to lift up the sector despite soothing words from the Taoiseach…

Labour spokesperson on Employment and Social Protection, Senator Ged Nash, has said its deeply unfair that social welfare increases announced in Budget 2018 won’t take effect until March, while tax cuts will be implemented from January. Senator Nash said: “Those who depend on the State for their income will be angered to see that the…

Labour Party spokesperson on Education, Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has said that this year’s budget exposes a total lack of vision for the third level sector. Senator Ó Ríordáin commented: “This Budget illustrates Fine Gael/Independent Alliance’s poverty of vision for free education. Nowhere is this more evident than in third level funding. “In a budget…

Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin has expressed his concern at reports that Ireland will not win either of its campaigns to lure the European Banking Authority or the European Medicines Authority to Ireland.  Deputy Howlin commented: “While the more cynical among us might suggest there was an attempt to bury this story on a busy…

Commenting on today’s Housing Budget proposals, Labour spokesperson on Housing, Deputy Jan O’Sullivan said: “It seems particularly poignant that on World Homeless Day, the Government has not actually committed to any increase in capital spending on housing next year. “In his Budget speech today, Minister Donohue simply reiterated the previous Housing Minister Simon Coveney’s existing…

Labour Party Health spokesperson Alan Kelly has said that Budget 2018 has left Sláintecare dead in the water. Deputy Kelly said: “Following months of work, a 10 year fully costed plan to implement a publicly funded healthcare was published in May with cross party support. There was no mention of Sláintecare in the Budget today…