Type: Press

Labour’s Housing spokesperson, Jan O’Sullivan TD, has welcomed the ten point plan put forward by the Simon Community today to make use of the vacant and derelict homes as the quickest way to deal with the housing and homelessness crisis. Commenting on the plan, Deputy O’Sullivan said: “On 31st August 2016, following the publication of…

Labour Party Leader and Spokesperson on Northern Ireland, Brendan Howlin has expressed sympathy on the passing of former SDLP MLA for South Down PJ Bradley. “I was saddened today to hear of the passing of former MLA for South Down, PJ Bradley. “As a man with enormous interest in the local history of the Burren…

Labour Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has welcomed the call by former US presidential candidate Martin O’Malley, for the Taoiseach to boycott his annual St. Patrick’s Day visit to the White House. The former Maryland Governor has launched an online #NoShamrocks petition, which will be delivered to all Irish American Members of Congress and the Irish…

Labour Transport spokesperson, Brendan Ryan TD, has today published a Bill that would allow for new conditions to be attached to licenses awarded by the National Transport Authority to private operators. The proposed conditions would ensure a more level playing field between private operators and Bus Éireann. It would also enable a Sectoral Employment Order…

This is a genuinely important measure. And not just because it may well be the first Opposition Bill to be passed into law by this Dáil. The Bill has been a long time reaching this far. I congratulate my colleagues Senators Ivana Bacik and Ged Nash for pursuing it in the other House. They in…

I was very sorry to hear of the death of Peter Mathews. He and I were both elected to Dail Eireann exactly six years ago, in that extraordinary general election at the height of the economic crisis. Peter was absolutely resolute in his views, and in his critique of the policy response to the banking…

Labour Party spokesperson on Transport, Brendan Ryan TD, has urged all sides in the Bus Éireann dispute to make a concerted effort to avert planned industrial action next week. Deputy Ryan has also called for a stakeholder forum for all those in the public transport industry, in a bid to head off future disputes. Deputy…

Labour spokesperson on Children, Jan O’Sullivan TD, has welcomed the announcement that homeless children living with their families in emergency accommodation will finally be able to access free school transport in the Dublin region. Under questioning from Deputy O’Sullivan in the Dáil this afternoon, the Minister for Housing Simon Coveney confirmed that the scheme, which…

Labour Party Spokesperson on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Alan Kelly today said “There is a massive security and financial risk to the State with the current Cash-in-Transit arrangements in place. Some Cash-in-Transit businesses handle more money than the banks. Deputy Kelly was reacting to information that the State use just one company for the purposes…

Deputy Alan Kelly welcomes Cork/Shannon announcement of new transatlantic flights but says we’ve been duped into supporting a Dublin Airport monopoly. 12 Dublin services will exacerbate regional development imbalances and insult Knock Airport, Taoiseach and Minister Ring. Labour spokesperson on Jobs and Tipperary TD, Alan Kelly has said the Government is sleep-walking into a deepening…

Labour Youth has today launched its higher education funding policy Education for the Next Generation. This policy paper calls for increased state investment and a significant contribution from employers into higher education Speaking at the launch, Labour Youth Chairperson, Kevin Donoghue said: “When it comes to higher education we need to be ambitious about a…

Labour Spokesperson on Energy, Seán Sherlock, has called on Minister Denis Naughten to make an immediate intervention in the waste recycling industry after reports of 160 containers were returned to Ireland from China because of contamination. “This Government put the issue of green waste recycling on the long finger last June,” said Deputy Sherlock. “And…

Some Cash in Transit businesses handle more money than the banks, and one company dominates the industry in Ireland. Labour Party Spokesperson on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Alan Kelly today said: “There is a massive security and financial risk to the State with the current Cash-in-Transit arrangements in place”. Deputy Kelly was reacting to information…

Labour spokesperson on Children and Youth Affairs, Jan O’Sullivan TD, says today’s Report Card from the Children’s Rights Alliance shows the Government is close to all-out failure in the area of children’s welfare. The Government has been given a D+ overall in its progress since taking office, the lowest grade recorded in six years. Deputy…

Labour spokesperson on Health, Alan Kelly TD, says a full explanation is needed as to why the price tag for the new National Maternity Hospital in Dublin has almost doubled. It is reported today that the expected cost of moving the facility from Holles Street to St Vincent’s has risen from €150m to €296m. Deputy…

Labour spokesperson on urban regeneration, Joe Costello, has called on the HSE and local authortities to do more to ensure that new mothers and hospital outpatients aren’t being discharged into homelessness. “The figures supplied by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive reveal that 689 patients were discharged from Dublin hospitals into emergency homeless accommodation in 2016….

Labour spokesperson on Finance and Education, Joan Burton TD, has called on the Governor of the Central Bank to investigate ‘Fear of Missing Out’ loans as advertised by Bank of Ireland in Dublin City University. “These FOMO loans by Bank of Ireland are completely irresponsible. The messaging behind these loans send the wrong message to…

The Executive Board of the Labour Party at its meeting today, on the recommendation of Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin strongly supports the workers in Tesco stores throughout the country and their union representatives in their actions to protect the terms and conditions of workers.

The proposal to reduce the current 14 bed Acute Psychiatric Unit in Waterford Regional Hospital to only six beds is unacceptable Labour leader Brendan Howlin has today said. Having had sight of a decision of the Mental Health Commission concerning the future of the Acute Psychiatric Unit servicing Counties Wexford and Waterford, Deputy Howlin said…

Cllr Alison Gilliland, Chairperson DCC Special Committee Fire/Ambulance Services and Emergency Management has today said: ‘Dublin Fire Brigade officers have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action to protect their Ambulance call and dispatch service from being transferred to the National Ambulance Service in Tallaght. I totally support their action and call on Dublin City Council to…

Reacting to the publication of the  Mulvey report, Labour spokesperson on urban renewal, Joe Costello has said: “I welcome the launch of the Report today which represents six months of analysis of the problems besetting the North East Inner City of Dublin and which provides a roadmap for social and economic regeneration of the area….

Commenting on the Government’s conference today ‘Corporate Tax: Fairness, Responsibility and Leadership’, Labour Party spokesperson on Finance, Joan Burton, has repeated her call for an independent standing commission on tax. Deputy Burton said: “Since the Apple judgement, I have been calling for the establishment of an independent standing commission on taxation, to review trends in…

Commenting on the imminent publication of the Mulvey report, Labour spokesperson on urban renewal, Joe Costello has said: “Tomorrow the Taoiseach will launch the report on the Social and Economic regeneration of the North East Inner City which has been prepared by Kieran Mulvey over the last six months.  The Report is the response to…

Following on from his revelations on The Week in Politics, the statement today from Garda Harrison, and the proposals to establish a public inquiry on the treatment of the McCabe family, Labour TD Alan Kelly said: “On The Week in Politics on Sunday I raised with the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice that she knew…