Type: Press

Labour spokesperson on Communications Sean Sherlock has criticised the lack of urgency shown by the Government in dealing with the challenges facing An Post, and the possible closure of over 200 Post Offices. Over a year on since the publication of the Kerr report, little action has been taken to deliver on its recommendations, and…

Offering support for Aodhán Ó Ríordáin’s Irish Stand event taking place in New York this Friday, Labour Party Leader, Brendan Howlin has said: “Today, our Taoiseach will visit the White House, and present a bowl of shamrock to Donald Trump. We know he will raise the plight of the undocumented Irish in America. For now,…

Willie Penrose, Labour TD for Longford-Westmeath has put more pressure on the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the IDA to outline how they plan to foster employment in Mullingar following the closure of Imperial Tobacco. “In light of Imperial Tobacco closing down, it is vital that we see high quality jobs brought to…

Yesterday our friends in IMPACT launched their #ClockedOut campaign to highlight the gender pay gap in Ireland. Because of the gender pay gap Irish women who work 9-5 work the last 71 minutes of their work day for free. The Labour Party has published legislation that aims to drive efforts towards closing the gender pay…

Labour Transport spokesperson and Dublin TD, Brendan Ryan, has expressed his sympathies with the families, friends and colleagues of the Rescue 116 Coast Guard helicopter crew whose aircraft went missing off the coast of Mayo in the early hours of this morning. Deputy Ryan said: “I echo the sentiment of the Irish Coast Guard which…

Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin, Rebecca Moynihan has criticised the hypocrisy of the Taoiseach’s position on illegal Irish immigrants in America and called on the Government to support a regularisation scheme for undocumented migrants on this side of the Atlantic. This follows the remarks on Monday by the Boston Mayor Martin Walsh that he would…

Labour spokesperson on Jobs, and Tipperary TD, Alan Kelly has said that the loss of over 200 jobs at Coty by the end of 2018 is a huge blow for Nenagh, and urgent Government action is needed in response. The job losses raise serious concerns for other pharmaceutical plants across Ireland, and what the Government…

The Government is pressing ahead with plans to sell-off 25% of AIB. Labour leader Brendan Howlin has called on those plans to be put on hold until guarantees are secured that the proceeds can be invested in Irish infrastructure. Michael Noonan recently informed the Dáil that “the sale of any shareholding in any of the…

Labour Women has today welcomed the publication of Labour’s Bill to help address the gender pay gap. Speaking on the matter Labour Women Chair Sinead Ahern commented: “It’s well known that women earn less than their male colleagues and the statistics released this week shows little has changed in that regard, with Irish women earning…

Labour Senator Ged Nash has claimed that the Government is ‘bending the knee’ to Britain with rushed and unnecessary legislation to give legal effect to a 60 year old ‘voisinage agreement’ which allowed Northern Irish registered vessels to fish within 6 nautical miles of the coastline of the Irish Republic. Senator Nash explained, “The Minister…

The Labour Party has today published legislation that aims to drive efforts towards closing the gender pay gap in Ireland. The Gender Pay Gap Information Bill 2017 requires medium to large-sized companies to regularly publish wage transparency surveys that would highlight any difference in pay between their male and female employees. Commenting on the publication…

10 years ago today, a fledgling campaigning organisation that would become Choice Ireland staged the first demonstration outside a rogue crisis pregnancy agency. For some years this issue slipped off the political radar, but it was brought back to the fore last year following an undercover investigation by Ellen Coyne and Catherine Sanz of the…

The revelation in the Tuam babies case are truly appalling.  They are beyond belief in terms of the horrific treatment of women and their babies in circumstances of detention overseen by the State.  It is one of the darkest secrets of our recent history.  But how many more dark secrets are still hidden in the…

Labour spokesperson on Rural Affairs, Willie Penrose TD has welcomend the launch of a consultation to investigate the potential of a new model of public banking. This type of community banking has great potential for Ireland, in particular for investment in rural areas. Deputy Penrose said: “I welcome the commencement of an investigation into the…

Conor Dignam SC recommended, under the heading ‘Care and Decision Making in respect of Others’, that the commission should investigate a range of matters broader than the Grace case. These include: all claims made in the protected disclosures that gave rise to the inquiry; the care received by all persons placed in this foster home,…

Statement by Labour Councillors on Dublin City Council Tuesday 7th March The Labour Group of Councillors on Dublin City Council support the retention of Dublin Fire Brigade call and dispatch operation in Tara St. Station. Councillors regret that the failure of DCC Management to engage in a meaningful way with the Ambulance Forum to resolve this…

Labour spokesperson on Rural Affairs, Willie Penrose TD has called today for the immediate publication of leaked plans to close up to 80 post offices. The Action Plan for Rural Development is only 6 weeks old but every week a new serice closure in rural Ireland is being flagged. Deputy Penrose said: “Today it has…

Cllr Alison Gilliland, Labour Party Dublin City Councillor and Chairperson of the Special Committee for Fire/Ambulance and Emergency Management has today said that Dublin City Council management are putting public safety at risk due to their refusal to engage. Cllr Gilliland said: “Dublin Fire Brigade has issued the CEO of Dublin City Council with strike…

Labour Dublin City Cllr Alison Gilliland has this evening said: ‘It is imperative that DCC re-engage with Ambulance Forum and resolve DFB EMS dispute before officers are forced to go ahead with their industrial dispute and potentially put citizen’s lives and property at risk.” ‘DCC walked out of the Ambulance Forum in January before the…

Brendan Ryan, Labour Party spokesperson on Transport has welcomed news that industrial action planned for Monday has been averted as talks on the dispute enters the Workplace Relations Commission. Deputy Ryan said: “I had called for talks to take place in advance of any further escalation of the dispute and I welcome the move by…

Statement from Labour TD, Joan Burton, regarding the discovery of human remains at a former mother and child home in Tuam, Co. Galway. “These findings are truly gruesome and no doubt deeply upsetting to anyone associated with the Tuam home. The grim discovery also highlights the important work of local historian Catherine Corless in bringing…

Statement from Jan O’Sullivan TD, Labour spokeperson for Children and Youth Affairs, regarding the excavation at Tuam by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes. “I am deeply saddened and concerned to hear confirmation today of the recovery of human remains at the site of a former mother and baby home in Tuam…

Labour TD for Tipperary, Alan Kelly, has called today on Minister Simon Coveney to extend the timeline for submissions to the National Planning Framework by at least a month beyond Easter. Deputy Kelly said: “The deadline for initial views to be submitted on the National Planning Framework is less than 2 weeks away at 12pm…

Over a year since the Company Law Review Group was asked to provide a report on preventing another Clerys type insolvency, Labour spokesperson on Workers Rights, Senator Ged Nash, said today that the Government is failing to meet commitments it gave to former Clerys workers. Senator Nash said: “Thirteen months ago, the Company Law Review…