Type: Press

Labour spokesperson on Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, Senator Ivana Bacik, has called on the Minister for Justice to fast-track Irish citizenship for the many frontline workers who have been the backbone of the health system throughout the pandemic. As many non-EU citizens continue to work on Ireland’s frontline, Bacik has reiterated the importance of…

After 6 months a levy should apply to empty housing units. Speculators artificially trying to inflate rent and housing prices by keeping units off market. Referendum on housing needed to balance rights of tenants and social good with rights of property owners. With the Business Post revealing today that hundreds of luxury apartments in Dublin…

In its submission to the Future of Media Commission, the Labour Party spokesperson Marie Sherlock has called on the Commission to prioritise decent employment conditions for those employed in the sector, continued protection and promotion of the State public service broadcaster, the provision of support to local and regional media and to ensure appropriate regulation of…

Workers who have already experienced a drop in wages and unemployment now face a double hit with TWSS and PUP tax bills. Scrapping Covid-19 related tax bills would provide vital household stimulus for those who need it most. Money allocated to doomed Staycation Subsidy Scheme and unused Covid Loan scheme could be redirected to support…

Schools getting email at 8pm on a Friday evening no way to do business. Safety concerns and childcare needs for SNAs and teachers must be addressed. Labour Education spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has criticised the approach of the Minister and her Department of sending out emails at 8pm on a Friday evening, that in effect…

Labour Party Leader and Health spokesperson, Alan Kelly TD, has called for the registration fee for nurses and midwives to be waived for 2021. Deputy Kelly said: “Nurses and midwives have been under an unprecedented amount of pressure since January 2020, from record overcrowding in our hospitals in the early parts of 2020, through to…

Failure to make face coverings mandatory puts health and safety of staff at risk. No action on face coverings for Banks, Credit Unions and An Post staff for over two months despite similar regulation in Northern Ireland and other customer-facing sectors such as retail and hospitality. Minister must immediately publish health advice received and reconsider…

Strategy is just about promoting remote working, lip service paid to worker protections Threadbare detail, strategy is little more than a rehash of 2019 Government report No detail on what a right to request remote work will look like, the 20% mandate on remote working across the public sector and third level institution, and the…

Minister for Health must communicate why this is happening. Minister Donnelly must explain why he made changes to the Vaccine Roll Out Plan Covid facing frontline workers are struggling to treat patients and need vaccination. With more and more examples of frontline healthcare staff being left behind during the rollout of Covid-19 vaccinations, Labour Party…

Two months since Labour launched bill to provide for right to disconnect and improved supports for workers. New Year lockdown highlights lack of progress by government. Labour bill would also require employers to provide suitable home workstation and flat rate payment to cover costs now shouldered by workers. Labour Employment spokesperson Marie Sherlock has highlighted…

Survey carried out by Senator Mark Wall with 10,984 responses on social media Over half of respondents favour predicted grades (53%) 43% would like to have the choice of predicted grades or sitting this year’s exam 3% opt for sitting traditional Leaving Cert   Labour Senator Mark Wall today published the results of a survey…

Government needs to be honest with communities.  Failure to retrospectively apply “ban” stands in mark contrast to retrospective taxing of PUP 601 co-living units within 1km radius in Phibsborough were rushed in between when ban was announced and when it was given effect.  “Ban” does not necessarily prevent future granting of planning permission for co-living facilities.  Speaking…

All capacity in private hospitals must be made available. Government must put back in place March agreement to pay student nurses. Rapid antigen testing must be rolled out now after EU approval. Responding to very worrying reports from frontline health workers, acute hospitals and trade unions, Labour Party leader, Alan Kelly TD, has called on…

Minister for Housing must act using powers under Section 28 of Planning Act. Any other powers available to Government should be used. Cork East TD and member of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children, Equality and Disability, Seán Sherlock has called on the Government and the Minister for Housing to examine using Ministerial directives under…

Cllr. Joanna Tuffy has called for Community Call to be amended to explicitly include those being asked to isolate and restrict their movements as a target group for support from local community response forums.   Cllr Tuffy said: “The documentation and publicity for Community Call clearly states that the supports available under this initiative are…

Proper, robust and effective information and tracing legislation must be published as soon as possible. A timeline must be provided for survivors, legislators and civil society to appraise the Bill. The State’s reponse to the Report must be survivor-led.    A day after the publication of the Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother…

The reintroduction of a concession for employees who use a company car for limited personal use as part of the Benefit in Kind (BIK) regime for “Employer-Provided Vehicles” has been welcomed by Labour spokesperson for Finance, Ged Nash TD.   This concession ceased to apply on 31 December 2020, however has since been reintroduced for…

Survivors, legislators and the public must be given time to digest report  Further investigation into forced separation needed  Timeline on implementation of recommendations needed  Government must provide supports to survivor groups     Welcoming the publication today of the Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, Labour Spokesperson for Children, Disability, Equality…

The Labour Party has welcomed the recent news that a Directly Elected Mayor (DEM) election could be held for Limerick City and County Council as early as October. The vote in Limerick showed that there is the appetite among the public to have a local Government with real decision making powers. The Labour Party want to…

Bus service could be potential game changer in ensuring local and inclusive access.     Responding to media reports of the OPW’s traffic management proposals for the Phoenix Park, Senator Marie Sherlock welcomed the proposals.   “Improvements to road safety for both pedestrians and cyclists is badly needed. The introduction of the 30km/h speed limit…

Reacting to the leaked details of the Report into the Mother and Baby Home Commission published yesterday, Labour Seanad Group Leader and Spokesperson for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, Senator Ivana Bacik has said,  “I am dismayed and appalled at the leak of information from the Report of the Commission into Mother and Baby Homes,…

Vaccinate To Educate: Priority for SEN staff. Early Decision on Leaving Cert 2021. Post-Covid Recovery Fund Needed. The Labour Party Education spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD has called on the Government to use the coming days to ensure we can limit the damage that the school lockdown will inevitably cause to children and young people….

Series of commitments made by Government not being followed through on This crisis is above politics and Ministers must deliver for the public Labour Party Leader, Alan Kelly TD, has flagged the pattern of broken, delayed and piece-meal commitments from government Minister in recent days, where they promise to deliver solutions to problems caused by…

– 70% less beds than secured in first lockdown. Labour Party Leader, Alan Kelly TD, has said the fact that full capacity could not be secured from private hospitals is disappointing, and that the deal announced by Minister for Health tonight is a bad deal for the public when our acute hospital system is under…