Type: Press

Statement by Labour Trade Unionists marking the anniversary of the execution of our founder, James Connolly. Labour Trade Union representatives have today encouraged real dialogue on Common Left Platform to address the crisis in health and housing and to set a real vision for Ireland that deals with the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Speaking…

Minister for Defence refuses request for transfer of playing pitch at Cathal Brugha Barracks Senator Ivana Bacik, prospective Labour candidate in the Dublin Bay South Bye-Election, reacted today to news that Minister for Defence Simon Coveney has refused to agree to a request she had made jointly with her Labour colleague Councillor Mary Freehill that…

Facebook content moderators’ continue to work under shameful conditions. Labour employment affairs spokesperson Marie Sherlock said there is an urgent need to extend health and safety legislation to cover content moderation activity in Ireland. Following representations at the Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment by Facebook content moderators, their union CWU and Foxglove, a content…

Pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for the development of A National Community Garden and Spaces policy. Housing emergency needs more than bricks and mortar solutions. Labour Senator Mark Wall has called for an urgent national policy on Community Gardens and Community Spaces for the country. Speaking at the Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Community…

Labour Senator Ivana Bacik has welcomed the publication of ‘long-awaited’ information and tracing legislation by Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration Roderic O’Gorman. Senator Bacik said: “The publication of this important legislation is hugely welcome. Survivors of Mother and Baby Homes and all adopted persons are waiting decades for this provision in law to…

Labour Party Leader Alan Kelly has welcomed the outcome of inquest by Justice Siobhan Keegan into the killing of 10 innocent people in Ballymurphy nearly fifty years ago and urged the British government to honour the Stormont House Agreement. Deputy Kelly said: “There was no justification for the killing of 10 people in Ballymurphy in…

Could issue guidelines under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act Labour Housing spokesperson Senator Rebecca Moynihan has highlighted the powers available to the Minister under the Planning and Development Act that would allow him to issue planning guidelines to restrict the sale of properties to cuckoo funds. Senator Moynihan said: “People can’t keep…

Labour education spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin described the announcement of summer provision without a targeted ‘Catch Up’ fund as dangerous and damaging. Deputy Ó Ríordáin said the fact that the Minister is doubling funding for a summer programme fundamentally misunderstands the impact of the pandemic on children throughout the country. Calling for the introduction of…

Labour Foreign Affairs spokesperson Brendan Howlin has condemned the recent actions of the Israeli government which has led to an escalation of violence in East Jerusalem and Gaza, called for an end to belligerent action, and he will question the Minister for Foreign Affairs later today in the Dáil about the actions the Irish Government…

The ESRI report due to be published this week bluntly shows Government’s investor led approach is locking generation rent out of the dream of home ownership. Labour housing spokesperson Senator Rebecca Moynihan said the State’s reliance on investors and its build to rent policy is depriving young people from any opportunity of owning a home…

The Government must confront the challenges of its broken care model and our ageing population. A New Fair Deal for care would see an amendment to the Fair Deal scheme to enable families to draw down funding to pay for care at home, rather than in a nursing home. In her speech on a motion…

Labour calling for targeted increase in Stamp Duty. Changes to Revenue rules should also be possible. After a week of speculation about measures that the government might introduce on investment funds buying up homes, Labour Finance spokesperson Ged Nash said it was revealing that we have yet to hear any proposals coming forward from government…

Minimum standard of care needed across the country Labour leader and health spokesperson Alan Kelly TD has once again urged the Government to provide clarity on maternity restrictions, ensure there is a consistent application of a minimum standard of care across the country, and for antigen testing to be used to ensure partners can attend…

Welcoming the doubling of school summer provision programmes this year, Labour spokesperson for Children Senator Ivana Bacik has called on the Minister to support this step with a full ‘Catch Up for Children’ fund to offset the impact of the pandemic on children and young people. Such a fund would be targeted at those children…

Labour Bill would give platform workers in the gig economy access to rights and protections. Brings our employment code up to date and stamps out bogus self-employment. Allows access to information about the algorithms that decide their pay and performance. Launching a new Bill to provide platform workers in the gig economy with better protections,…

Following an investigation by Newstalk that revealed single people on typical salaries can only afford homes in seven counties, Labour housing spokesperson Rebecca Moynihan has said Government’s decision to develop housing policy for dual-income households is extremely dangerous. Senator Moynihan said: “Our dysfunctional housing market has let down too many people. Accessing affordable, secure housing…

Answers needed from Tánaiste and IDA about how these jobs were lost. Taskforce needed to find alternative users for the Baldoyle sites. Ministers must ensure all necessary supports are put in place for workers. The loss of more than 100 jobs is another huge blow for the Northside, said local TD and Labour Enterprise spokesperson…

Increase in transactions tax on investors would give first time buyers a leg-up. A 15% rate applies in the UK to those buying more than 1 residential property worth over €1.5m pounds. Would have an immediate impact if introduced now. Other tax measures to target their profits still needed. Labour Finance spokesperson Ged Nash has…

Responding to UK government proposals to provide an amnesty to soldiers accused of crimes in Northern Ireland, Labour spokesperson Brendan Howlin said: “Most people involved in building or advocating for peace on our island over the past 30 years will be dismayed at the recent developments in Northern Ireland. “A unilateral decision made by the…

Middle and low income earners will remain priced out of market by investment funds. Affordable Housing Bill does nothing to support single people. Minister must act on his 2019 Bill that proposed to ringfence housing for first time buyers.  Labour housing spokesperson Senator Rebecca Moynihan has welcomed the news that the Government will examine blocking…

Labour education spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has called on Government to commit to a blanket moratorium on any school losing teachers in September. Given the nature of the pandemic and the continued impact it will have on school communities, Government must assure all schools that they will have the same number of staff as they…

Speaking in the Dáil today, Labour climate spokesperson Duncan Smith said that the Government must lead by example and embed principles of the Just Transition into the Climate Action Bill. Deputy Smith raised the example of Pat Barrett, who operated a family bike rental business in Lough Boora, Co. Offaly for the past 11 years,…

Labour Senator Mark Wall has called on Government to immediately address the means test for carers allowance following the revelation by Family Carers Ireland that 49% of those on the carers allowance payment are not getting the full €219 payment. Speaking at the Oireachtas committee on Social Protection and Rural Affairs, Senator Wall stated that…

Minister Donohoe must veto reappointment of AIB non-executive directors over bank’s handling of tracker scandal Majority State-owned bank must show lessons have been learned over trackers AIB had single biggest tracker redress issues involving payments of €300m to 6,000 borrowers who were wrongly denied trackers. In advance of AIB’s AGM tomorrow (Thursday, 6 May 2021),…