Type: Press

Labour Senator Gerald Nash has said he was puzzled by this morning’s news that the Government is abandoning plans to ban TDs convicted of corruption from running again for election to the Dáil. “It seems that, yet again, advice from the Attorney General’s office is being held responsible for a legislative change of heart”, he…

Labour Women would like to voice their support for the Project Arts Centre and street artist Maser in relation to the recent removal of the Repeal the 8th Mural. Sinead Ahern, Chair of Labour Women said: “The mural on the side of the Project Arts Centre in Dublin lasted just 18 days.  In that time,…

It is with great sadness I learnt earlier today of the death of Finbarr Flood.  Finbarr had a distinguished career in sport, business and in the service of the public.  He excelled at everything he did but he wore his success with the humility and modesty that were to be his trademarks.  Among a host…

The Receiver appointed to Lynam’s Hotel in O’Connell Street is seeking to have all the homeless families removed as the hotel is being put up for sale.  It is unacceptable that the sale of property by a receiver should be given priority over the lives of the people living in that property.  The needs of…

News that the CineMobile, Ireland’s only mobile cinema service has ceased trading is a great disappointment and will result in the denial of a local movie-going experience for the tens of thousands of visitors that it attracted each year. CineMobile has provided an invaluable service to festival goers in places like Galway and Kilkenny, but…

Earlier today in the Dáil Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin called on the Tánaiste to provide an update on when the Youth Mental Health Task Force will be set up. Labour Youth welcomes the news that the government will make an announcement next week on the formation of the Task Force. The ISPCC report released…

I welcome the establishment by the Taoiseach today of the North Inner City Task Force. The Task Force will be charged with supporting the regeneration of the North Inner City area of Dublin. Along with my Labour Party colleague Joe Costello I called on the Taoiseach to establish this Task Force as far back as…

The second visit by the Taoiseach and some of his cabinet and junior ministers to the North Inner City at 4pm today to announce the establishment of the promised North Inner City Drugs Task Force is to be welcomed. The Task Force is the Government’s response to the epidemic of drug and gang-related murders in…

Senator Ivana Bacik today welcomed the passage of the Paternity Leave and Benefit Bill 2016 through Committee and remaining stages in the Seanad this afternoon.  Speaking on the final stage of the Bill, Senator Bacik said: “I am delighted to see the Paternity Leave and Benefit Bill become law. It was first announced as an…

Housing is undoubtedly one of the most pressing issues facing Irish society. It is important the Government’s Housing Action Plan succeeds. However it must be closely monitored. It is concerning there is nothing in the plan to stop developers hoarding land when it could be used to build urgently needed homes on. The Minister himself…

Dail Statements on Nice Attacks Bastille Day commemorates a transformative moment in modern democracy. Each year, the French people remember the value of citizenship, and that France is now a country united. But last week the peaceful celebrations of national unity and identity were torn apart in Nice. Eighty four people, including children, died on…

Today’s report from the Low Pay Commission on the proposed 2017 rate for the National Minimum Wage is disappointing. This year, I increased the National Minimum Wage to €9.15 an hour from €8.65 per hour. That means that a single worker who ordinarily works a full week will be almost €800 better off in 2016….

Today’s recommendation by Low Pay Commission of an increase of just one per cent in the National Minimum Wage is very disappointing and falls well short of what is needed if the Programme for Government commitment to increase it to €10.50/hour by 2021is to be achieved. In 2011, Labour took office shortly after Fianna Fáil…

The Labour Party spokesperson on Housing Jan O’Sullivan today launched the Party’s Social and Affordable Housing Bill 2016. Among the measures included in the legislation are: The implementation of the recommendations of the Kenny report The remit of NAMA to be broadened and for the organisation to be rebranded as the National Housing Development and…

I reiterate the call made by Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin in the Dáil today that the government must urgently deliver on its commitment to establish a task force to tackle crime and economic disadvantage in Dublin’s North Inner City. The rise in gang land crime in the North Inner City demonstrates the urgent need…

Dáil Éireann, Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Bill 2016 With one or two caveats I and my Party support this Bill. We agree with the proposal to reduce the threshold value of property subject to      confiscation from €13,000 to €5,000. And we agree with a new, short-term, administrative power of seizure and detention at CAB officer…

In the Dáil under the Order of Business I told the Tánaiste that I am not satisfied with the government’s progress on establishing a taskforce to focus on regenerating the North Inner City of Dublin.   In the wake of a spate of gang-related killings, I visited the North Inner City with Joe Costello where…

A study by the Nevin Economic Research Institute has shown that almost three quarters of people earning the minimum wage in Ireland are women. The disproportionately high number of women earning the minimum wage clearly demonstrates the need to introduce a living wage to help tackle the gender pay gap. This government has completely taken…

The Government’s Housing strategy leaked today and due to be published next week contains a lot of measures but no clear direction. It contains sops to the construction industry, for example upfront payment for Part 5 social houses and the use of public land for mixed tenure development, the majority of which will be for…

New research from the ESRI suggesting that young people find life much tougher than the over-65s comes as no shock to the young people reading it. Grace Williams, Labour Youth National Chairperson said on the report: “It has been clear for some time that young people are finding it difficult to navigate an increasingly expensive…

Speaking in the Dail today, Alan Kelly asked Health Minister Simon Harris to provide an up-to-date list of section 38 entities which receive funding from the HSE and for a full breakdown of the funding each organisation received from 2013 to 2015. He said: “I’m calling on the Minister to publish all HSE audits of…

On the Order of Business today, Senator Ivana Bacik expressed her concern regarding the proposal to introduce a scheme of income contingent student loans to fund third level education, and called for a debate on the report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education chaired by Peter Cassells. Senator Bacik said: “It…

A news report in the Guardian this week suggesting that the latest draft version of the TTIP agreement could all but end European efforts to save energy and switch to clean power, is very worrying. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/11/leaked-ttip-energy-proposal-could-sabotage-eu-climate-policy According to the piece, the EU will propose a rollback of mandatory energy savings measures, and remove obstacles to…

It is welcome that the Cassells report is proposing that whatever funding model is chosen for third level education, that part time students would be funded in the same manner as full time students. The report also proposes an extension of student supports to part time students. Part time third level students, many of whom…