Type: Press

Labour spokesperson for employment affairs, Senator Marie Sherlock, has said the outcome of the Citizens’ Assembly deliberations is a major breakthrough in the pursuit of gender equality in Ireland. Senator Sherlock said : “The breadth of the recommendations recognise that there is so much work to be done to bring about greater gender equality- whether…

Labour Senator Ivana Bacik has welcomed the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality today, calling it a landmark day for gender equality in Ireland. Following a year and a half of discussions, 45 recommendations have been put forward to level the playing field for men and women in Ireland. Senator Bacik said: “I…

Labour employment affairs spokesperson Senator Marie Sherlock has written to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris raising deep concerns about the treatment of Debenham’s workers in Dublin yesterday. Senator Sherlock noted that Gardaí have a job to do in the balancing the rights of businesses and ensuring the safety and dignity of workers and bystanders but noted that…

Average processing time of 25 months for citizenship applications means stronger communication from Government needed Speaking upon receipt of parliamentary question responses which indicate a significant increase in wait-times for citizenship applications in 2020 and 2021, Labour Seanad Group Leader and Party Spokesperson for Integration, Senator Ivana Bacik has called on the Government to engage…

Labour social protection spokesperson Seán Sherlock TD has called on the Government to provide clarity for all workers living in Direct Provision. Speaking in the Dáil today, Deputy Sherlock said there is an immediate and urgent need to provide clarity for healthcare workers. Deputy Sherlock said: “There must be clear, unambiguous guidelines established for workers…

Carbon Footprint Labelling Bill from Duncan Smith would allow people see beyond the marketing. Labour climate spokesperson Duncan Smith has called on Government to prevent any attempt by the oil and gas industry to label gas from fossil fuels as ‘green’ in the proposed new EU taxonomy. Reacting to the EU Sustainable Finance package, Deputy…

A year into the pandemic, the Government still has no plan to tackle youth unemployment. Speaking in the Dáil, Labour enterprise and education spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD urged the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation to pay as much time to solving the youth unemployment crisis as he does with Sinn Féin spin. Deputy…

Speaking on the Climate Action Bill in the Dáil, Labour climate spokesperson Duncan Smith TD expressed his disappointment at the failure of Government to aspire ambition on climate action in Ireland. While the Bill contains many positive steps forward, Deputy Smith noted the excessive influence of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in the drafting of…

Labour enterprise and education spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD has called on Government to engage with staff and unions affected by today’s announcement by Carphone Warehouse. The loss of 486 times at such a difficult time for workers and the economy is hugely worrying for communities up and down the country. Deputy Ó Ríordáin called…

Nash legislation would ensure people are told about the impact of charges on their savings Labour Party Finance spokesperson Ged Nash has today published new legislation that would address the lack of transparency around the fees charged on the management of pensions that will greatly benefit savers trying to understand how much they will lose…

Labour Party Spokesperson on Finance and Public Expenditure, Ged Nash, while welcoming the establishment of the Commission on Tax Welfare said that a one-off Commission rather than a standing commission would not provide the tax security and certainty Ireland needs on a long-term basis. Deputy Nash noted that the need for a standing commission had…

Labour Party Senator Marie Sherlock has called on Minister for Children, Roderic O’ Gorman to instigate an urgent review of the new National Childcare Scheme (NCS) to ensure it adequately supports all children. Senator Sherlock said: “Over recent weeks, a number of community-run early years services located in Dublin’s north inner city have been telling…

Labour leader and health spokesperson has called on the Head of Screening and the Chief Clinical Office of the HSE to outline the clinical implications of the backlog in national cancer screening programmes. Deputy Kelly said it is incumbent that the State quickly catches up on missed targets to avoid any delayed diagnoses. Deputy Kelly…

Labour housing spokesperson Senator Rebecca Moynihan called on the Minister for Housing to urgently publish the actions agreed for the Youth Homelessness Strategy and called for a particular focus on renters. Senator Moynihan said: “Young people have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic as we see numbers of youth unemployment continue to skyrocket. Young people…

Bill would ban all advertising of gambling in Ireland 75% of people know a problem gambler Experts report increase in gambling disorder referrals since Covid lockdown As experts continue to report rises in problem gambling and gambling addiction, the Labour Party has introduced the first Bill in the country to ban gambling ads. To stop…

Labour Party Finance Spokesperson, Ged Nash, has described media reports that there would be no public competition for the position of the new Secretary General in the Department of Finance as ‘astonishing’.  He called on the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform to initiate an immediate public competition for the post.  He is…

Labour Senator Rebecca Moynihan has praised Lidl and their partnership with Homeless Period Ireland following its announcement that it will offer free period products in stores nationwide to tackle period injustice. Senator Moynihan introduced legislation in January which would compel the Minister for Health to provide period products free of charge in education settings and…

Independent analysis conducted on scale of pension fees in Ireland, and lack of transparency. Report shows losses of hundreds of thousands of euro per person due to pension fees. Labour to introduce legislation to dramatically increase pensions fee transparency to assist consumers. The Labour Party is to introduce legislation to make fees for the management…

Labour education and enterprise spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD has called on the Government to implement a national pathway to providing training and education for young people to tackle skyrocketing youth unemployment rates. Pointing to examples of best practice in the UK, Deputy Ó Ríodáin urged Government to stop throwing money at mental health services,…

Deputy Alan Kelly said: “Minister Donnelly has once again caused utter confusion overnight. His Government colleagues and the HSE must be very concerned about his comments and continued management of the vaccine roll out. “He needs to stick to the plan on vaccine roll out otherwise he’s undermining his own Government’s arguments for the age…

Marking President Higgins’ 80th birthday, Labour Leader Alan Kelly has paid tribute to President Higgins, noting the role he has played in making Ireland a better place. Deputy Kelly said: “I want to wish President Higgins a very happy birthday on this special day for Ireland. President Higgins continues to serve the people of Ireland…

Planned exit another major blow for consumers and competition. Central Bank must stop being commentators and set out strategic vision for Irish banking sector. Bank staff must keep jobs and terms in any transfer. Responding to the announcement from KBC that the bank is set to exit the Irish market, Labour’s Finance spokesperson Ged Nash…

Labour employment spokesperson Senator Marie Sherlock has urged the Tánaiste to set actionable timelines on his process examining the Living Wage in Ireland. Senator Sherlock said: “Work should always pay and the Living Wage is good for workers, business, families and society. As our economy recovers from the pandemic, we need to ensure that there…

Now that all age cohorts have returned to school, analysis is needed to assess the impact of prolonged school closures. The Labour Party’s ‘Catch-Up for Children’ scheme would provide €100m in targeted funding to help make up for lost class time and related benefits. Calls to Labour Party representatives show that the effects of pandemic-related…