Type: Press
Viatris job losses a huge blow but future options for site must be examined
Taskforce needed to find alternative users for the Baldoyle facility. Workers must receive all available supports as manufacturing is wound down over two years. Labour Enterprise spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has said the news just before Christmas of the loss of over 400 jobs in his constituency over the next two year is a huge…
Read more »Fall in Ireland’s home ownership rate means stronger protections are needed for renters
REITs who are buying up large volumes of new developments are putting home ownership out of reach of ordinary people Failure on social housing and affordable rental is exasperating the problem Need European style protections for renters The Fall in Ireland’s home ownership rate to 69% and the revelation that Ireland now has the highest…
Read more »Alternative uses for Midlands power stations must be found
Transfer to Local Authorities or tender for other uses must be carried out. Biomass option appears to have been abandoned. Just Transition Taskforce urgently needed to prevent rust belts. Labour Party Leader Alan Kelly has called for the government to urgently intervene to ensure a just transition for midland communities and the workers, as ESB…
Read more »Unacceptable that there are only 15 Changing Place toilets in Ireland – Progress needed on Changing Places initiative
Decision to set up a working group welcome but group must report back with their findings soon Kildare South based Labour Senator Mark Wall has said we need to see progress from the Department of Housing on the Changing Places in public buildings initiative. Senator Wall secured a commencement matter in the Seanad this week…
Read more »Insurance Plan long on aspiration but short on concrete actions
Long-promised reforms on perjury and the Personal Injuries Assessment Board all welcome. Absence of plans for innovative pooled insurance schemes to help make insurance more affordable for childcare providers and voluntary bodies disappointing. Anti-competitive and rip-off practices like dual pricing need to be banned. The Labour Party Spokesman on Finance Deputy Ged Nash, said the…
Read more »Extension of Parent’s Leave must not exclude low-income families
Reacting to news that Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration Roderic O’Gorman TD has secured Cabinet approval for the extension of paid Parent’s Leave by three weeks, Labour Seanad group leader and Spokesperson for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, Senator Ivana Bacik has said, “I welcome today’s announcement from Minister O’Gorman that Cabinet…
Read more »Return of Iveagh Markets to Guinness Family welcome, it should never have been allowed to fall into this level of disrepair
State must step in and work with Lord Iveagh to ensure the market is restored Labour Housing Spokesperson, Senator Rebecca Moynihan has welcomed the return of the Iveagh Markets treo the Guinness Family and said that the market should never have been allowed to fall into a level of disrepair that will cost millions…
Read more »“We must support the scientists who have delivered the vaccines” – Kelly
All TD’s and Senators should sign Labour’s vaccine pledge Taoiseach needs to talk to social media companies about combatting misinformation Answers needed on how the necessary data for distribution will be collated Labour Leader and Health Spokesperson, Alan Kelly has called on all TD’s and Senators to sign a pledge to support the rollout…
Read more »Labour publishes bill to pay student nurses and midwives
Labour Further & Higher Education spokesperson Senator Annie Hoey has today published a bill that would provide for student nurses and midwives to be paid.Senator Hoey said: “Today we’ve launched a bill aimed at convincing the government parties to pay student nurses and midwives. The current situation cannot continue. “Student nurses and midwives are being…
Read more »Irish Third-Level students twice as likely to be from affluent backgrounds – Govt should be offended by findings of HEA report
Citizens Assembly on education needs to be established to tackle these issues Irish Third-Level students’ students are twice as likely to be from affluent backgrounds according to the findings of a new report by the Higher Education Authority. Labour Education Spokesperson, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said that the Government should be offended by the findings of…
Read more »Primetime programme on overcrowding shocking but not surprising
Minister needs to immediately implement his own overcrowding bill that he introduced while in opposition Labour Housing Spokesperson, Senator Rebecca Moynihan has described the RTÉ Investigates Primetime programme that revealed 11 people living in a flat during the pandemic as shocking but unsurprising. Senator Moynihan said: “What was revealed in this Primetime programme about overcrowding…
Read more »Minister needs to meet with Salvation Army over the closure of children-only hostel
Labour Housing Spokesperson, Senator Rebecca Moynihan has called on the Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien to meet with the Salvation Army who run Lefroy House an emergency child only night shelter for homeless for homeless teenagers. The centre caters for seven young people, male and female between the age of 12 and 18 who are…
Read more »Political accountability needed on vaccine rollout – we need to know who is ultimately in charge
Contradictory announcements from Government on vaccine rollout Government need to outline how they will deal with companies who want to provide the vaccine privately to employees Need to examine whether we need emergency data legislation given past issues with the PSC card Speaking at Leaders Questions, Labour Leader and Health Spokesperson, Alan Kelly challenged the…
Read more »Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Greens should be ashamed for voting against paying student nurses
Fianna Fáil statement outlining why the Government voted against the motion is galling Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Greens should be ashamed for voting against paying student nurses according to Labour Senator Annie who was speaking after the three Government parties voted against a private members motion in the Dáil to pay student nurses. …
Read more »Labour bill one step closer to granting certainty for children born in Ireland to non-national parents
This evening, 2nd December 2020, the ‘Committee Stage’ debate on Labour’s Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018 adjourned after one hour to facilitate further discussion with Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and her officials, prior to the return of the Bill for adjourned ‘Committee Stage’ early in 2021. Speaking…
Read more »Young carer’s going to bed hungry is far from the Republic of Opportunity promised by this Government
Labour Senator Annie Hoey is calling on the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to establish a dedicated team to support the estimated 67,000 young carers in Ireland today. Senator Hoey today responded to a report published by Family Carers Ireland. Speaking in the Seanad, Senator Hoey said: “The Minister needs to take…
Read more »AIB job cuts plan a hammer blow for bank staff
Moratorium on economic lay-offs needed for banking sector Minister must use his power to prevent 1500 planned job cuts at bank in which State is majority shareholder AIB management must immediately engage with Financial Services Union (FSU) Labour’s Finance Spokesperson Ged Nash has expressed his shock at the announcement from Allied Irish Bank that it…
Read more »Questions remain around December 11th vaccine plan
We need to know the number of vaccines available Who will get the vaccine first and in what order and how it will be stored? The IT infrastructure behind the distribution The Public heath campaign that will be put in place Speaking at Leaders Questions, Labour Leader and Health Spokesperson, Alan Kelly said several…
Read more »New EBA guidance should pave way for reintroduction of payment breaks
No excuse for Irish banks not to reactivate structured payment breaks for borrowers in financial difficulty because of Covid-19 restrictions Labour’s Finance spokesperson Ged Nash has said Irish banks have no excuse not to reintroduce a new national programme of structured payment breaks for distressed borrowers who face financial difficulties arising from the second wave…
Read more »Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018 returns to Seanad Committee Stage
The Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018 returns to Committee Stage in the Seanad at 4:00pm today, having passed Second Stage in the Seanad in November 2018. The debate will adjourn after one hour to enable a discussion with the Department of Justice and the Minister of Justice about…
Read more »Taoiseach needs to outline rollout strategy for Covid vaccines
Taoiseach should appoint a dedicated Minister with responsibility for vaccines Government need to outline how the vaccine will be rolled out and how vaccine passports will be generated and who is politically accountable for the rollout Speaking at Leaders Questions, Labour Leader and Health Spokesperson Alan Kelly has asked the Taoiseach to give a comprehensive…
Read more »Tánaiste needs to stop holding up pay increases for contract cleaners
He needs to sign the Employment Regulation Order urgently Labour Spokesperson on Employment Affairs, Senator Marie Sherlock has called on the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar to stop holding up pay increases for contract cleaners and sign the Employment Regulation Order urgently. Senator Sherlock said: “Contract cleaners are essential frontline…
Read more »Education Committee should consider OECD review on Leaving Cert
Need for a reasonable, reflective debate on the future of the state exam Labour Education Spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, has called for the Oireachtas Education Committee to consider the OECD review on Leaving Cert once published. Deputy Ó Ríordáin said it was time for a reasonable, reflective debate on the report and on the future…
Read more »Wall urges Sports Clubs to take advantage of €40m capital grant scheme
With a package of €40 million confirmed for the Sports Capital and Equipment programme for next year, Labour Sports spokesperson Mark Wall has urged clubs and organisations to ensure they are prepared to apply for the scheme which opens on Friday 11th December. Senator Wall said: “2020 has been a very difficult year for clubs…
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