Type: Press

Labour Party Spokesperson on Health, Alan Kelly TD, has said that the decision by the UN Committee on Human Rights in respect of Siobhan Whelan needs to be responded to in a timely way. This is the second time in a year that Ireland has been found by the UN Human Rights Committee to have…

Labour Spokesperson for Public Expenditure, Seán Sherlock TD, has welcomed reports that the so-called ‘rainy day fund’ long mooted by Michael Noonan, may yet be shelved in favour of increased spending on capital infrastructure. Deputy Sherlock said: “The Labour Party has long been calling on the Government to scrap the so-called rainy day fund and…

Limerick Labour TD Jan O’Sullivan has welcomed news today that up to 400 jobs are to come on stream for the city at US financial services company Northern Trust over the next five years. Deputy O’Sullivan commented: “This jobs boost is another welcome vote of confidence in Limerick, and comes on the back of previous…

Labour’s spokesperson on Public Expendutire and Reform, Seán Sherlock, T.D., has today welcomed news of a potential agreement between Government and the public sector trade unions. Deputy Sherlock said: “The Labour Party worked to create the Landsdowne Road Agreement that began the process of restoring public sector pay. The economic recovery we helped to create…

Labour Senator Ged Nash has welcomed the official signing of Labour’s Competition Amendment Bill 2016 into law by President Michael D. Higgins, describing it as a “major milestone” for the labour movement in Ireland. Senator Nash, who supported the passage of the Bill through Cabinet as Minister of State in the Department of Jobs in…

Labour Education Spokesperson, Joan Burton TD, has passed on her best wishes to the thousands of Junior and Leaving Cert students beginning their exams today. Deputy Burton said: “I’d like to pass on my best wishes to the thousands of students right around the country who are beginning the State exams today. “It’s a huge…

Labour Spokesperson on Lifelong Learning and former Dublin Mid-West TD, Joanna Tuffy, has pledged her support with those affected by an incident at a mosque in Galway City last night. Ms. Tuffy, who was at the opening of the mosque in 2014, commented: “While the circumstances of last night’s incident are still being investigated, I…

Labour spokesperson on Social Protection, Willie Penrose TD, has said that whoever is appointed Minister for Social Protection in the Cabinet reshuffle, must ensure that Community Employment schemes are protected. During Questions to the outgoing Minister last week, Deputy Penrose asked the new Fine Gael leader, Leo Varadkar, to ensure that local schemes are allowed…

Labour Party Workers’ Rights spokesperson Senator Ged Nash has welcomed a Labour Court recommendation which has secured collective bargaining rights for the staff of Clare-based US multinational Microsemi. Senator Nash said: “The 2015 Industrial Relations Act introduced a strong pro-worker collective bargaining system to Ireland. “Every case taken to the Labour Court under the Act…

Labour spokesperson on Finance, Joan Burton TD has repeated her called for a minimum effective corporation tax rate, as it was revealed that AIB had informed potential investors that it will pay no corporate tax for up to 30 years. Deputy Burton said: “The largest bank in Ireland, which cost us €20.8 billion to bail…

Labour spokesperson on Finance Joan Burton TD has again called on Fine Gael to postpone the imminent flotation of 25% of AIB until clarification is provided on what will happen to the billions of euro of distressed home and business loans that the bank plans to offload to make itself more attractive to investors Deputy…

Statement from Brendan Howlin TD, Leader of the Labour Party, on London attack. “My thoughts, and those of the Labour Party, are with the women and men impacted by the horrific terrorist attack in London last night. “The attack on people enjoying a Saturday night out was mindlessly cruel. But the response it triggered from…

“On behalf of the Labour Party, I would like to extend my personal congratulations to Leo Varadkar on his election as leader of Fine Gael – today is a day that I’m sure will give enormous pride to him and to his family and friends. I would also like to congratulate Simon Coveney on a…

Labour TD Alan Kelly has described the US decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord as ‘wrong and irresponsible’. Deputy Kelly, who led the Paris negotiations for Ireland as Minister for the Environment in 2015, commented: “This announcement from President Trump last night is not only depressing, but completely irresponsible. “As one of the…

Labour spokesperson on Climate Change, Sean Sherlock TD, has expressed his disappointment at the decision by the United States to pull out of the Paris Climate Accord. The announcement was made by US President, Donald Trump, at the White House this evening. Deputy Sherlock commented: ‘’I am really dismayed by President Trump’s announcement that the…

Labour’s Workers’ Rights spokesperson, Senator Ged Nash, has welcomed today’s pay hike for 17,000 security officers across the country. He said: “This new legal minimum rate of pay in the security industry was made possible under the legislation the Labour Party introduced in government to restore the Joint Labour Committee that was struck down by…

With US bank shares falling by over 10% in recent weeks, Labour spokesperson on Finance Joan Burton has said it highlights the folly of proceeding with the flotation of 25% of AIB. This follows the news of a potential fire sale of bad loans to make the bank more attractive. Deputy Burton said: “The business…

Today, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection discussed the draft heads of the Social Protection and Pensions Bill 2017. Former Minister of State in the Department of Social Protection, Senator Kevin Humphreys, who is a member of the Committee has said that part of the proposed law, Head 5, from Minister Varadkar would provide…

Labour Housing Spokesperson, Jan O’Sullivan TD, has published legislation that aims to ensure the best interests of homeless children are recognised by Local Authorities in an emergency situation. The Housing (Homeless Families) Bill 2017 would require Local Authorities to recognise the rights of a child in a family unit when applying for accommodation or other…

Senator Ivana Bacik has welcomed the passage of the Competition (Amendment) Bill through both Houses of the Oireachtas. “This Bill arises from a long-standing Labour Party commitment to ensure protection of the right to collectively bargain for freelance workers, including journalists, actors and others, who perform their work on a self-employed or contract-for-services basis. “I…

Reacting to the shooting dead of a man in the North Inner City of Dublin, Labour representative Joe Costello has said an International Criminal Assets Bureau must be established and has called for the Taoiseach to establish the Implementation Structures as recommended in the Mulvey Report. Mr Costello said: “The shooting dead of a man…

Seconding the Controlled Drugs and Harm Reduction Bill 2017, Labour Party Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, has called for an end to the ‘war on drugs’.  “I was delighted this evening to second the Controlled Drugs and Harm Reduction Bill 2017, proposed by my colleague Senator Lynn Ruane. “It is my absolute conviction, as someone who…

The Labour Party has become the first Opposition party in the current Dáil term to successfully pass a Bill through both Houses of the Oireachtas. The Competition Amendment Bill 2016, which will become law in the next five days, aims to improve the working and living standards of those working on a freelance basis in…

Senator Kevin Humphreys has welcomed the agreement in the Seanad today, on foot of a Labour motion calling for the postponement of the AIB share sale, that Minister Michael Noonan would speak to Senators at 6pm this evening, Wednesday 31st May. Senator Humphreys said: “Today on the Order of Business in the Seanad the Labour…