Type: Press
Strong Statutory Sick Pay Scheme an essential outcome of consultation process
Labour Party Bill was delayed for six months. Huge public support for Paid Sick Leave. Public Consultation will inform proposals. Responding to the Government’s belated public consultation on a statutory sick pay scheme, Labour Employment spokesperson Marie Sherlock urged people to have their say, highlighting that a poll previously found 87% of people in favour…
Read more »Urgent guidance needed on Christmas religious services
Level 3 does not allow for religious services while Level 2 has a cap of 50 people. With less than six weeks to Christmas, Labour Community spokesperson Seán Sherlock TD, has called for guidance on what level of religious services will be allowed during the Christmas period so that Church leaders, and other faiths, can…
Read more »Labour Group to reject private development of Oscar Traynor lands
“The Labour Group on Dublin City Council rejects the proposal to tender the development of the Oscar Traynor lands to Glenveigh Living Ltd. “While the proposal presents a high quality attractive development, it sees us trade half of the total housing units (428) for the building of community amenities and infrastructure. This does not sufficiently maximise the…
Read more »SNAs must be treated with respect – Dept should suspend 72 hours requirement during the pandemic
Labour Education Spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has called on the Department of Education to suspend the requirement on SNAs to work the additional 72 hours under the Public Service Pay Agreement during the Covid crisis. Deputy Ó Ríordáin was speaking after a letter was sent from the Department of Education to schools outlining that the…
Read more »Taoiseach and McEntee need to make urgent statements on Woulfe appointment process
It is not believable that the Taoiseach was not informed of Judge applicants or was Cabinet misled? Did Minister for Justice discuss names for Cabinet in advance with Tánaiste? Was position held vacant for months for the sitting Attorney General? The previous Attorney General sat on the JAAB up until June 27th. Following the revelation…
Read more »Can someone please remind Stephen Donnelly that student nurses on the frontline cannot live on applause and platitudes
Labour Spokesperson on Higher Education, Senator Annie Hoey is calling on the Minister for Health and the HSE to end the practice of unpaid work by student nurses in hospitals across the country. Senator Hoey said: “Since my election to Seanad Eireann, I have raised at every opportunity with the Minister for Health the issue…
Read more »Central Bank has major questions to answer over failure to enforce consumer protection code
Central Bank has not done a single enforcement action for a breach of the Consumer Protection Code in over 4 years, outside of the Tracker Scandal. From 2006 to 2016, the Central Bank completed 26 enforcement actions for breaches of the Code, with numbers falling off a cliff after this. Consumer Protection Code is the…
Read more »Tánaiste signals intention to support Labour Born Here Belong Here Campaign
The Tánaiste has signalled the Government’s intention to support the Labour Party and Labour Youth’s Born Here Belong Here campaign for the reintroduction of birth right citizenship after Labour Leader Alan Kelly raised the issue at Leader’s Questions. Speaking at Leaders Questions, Deputy Kelly said: “The 27th Amendment was brought forward in 2004 by Fianna…
Read more »Airport testing capacity issues a direct result of Government dithering
Transport Minister must immediately address this Airport testing capacity issues are a direct result of Government dithering and delaying according to Labour Transport Spokesperson Duncan Smith who said that Transport Minister Eamon Ryan must immediately address the issue. Deputy Smith was speaking after the Dáil was told that there is no guarantee that there will…
Read more »Government’s paltry commitment to cost rental will not solve rental crisis – Threshold survey shows State needs to build on public land
Eviction ban needs to be extended until at least March 400 cost rental units announced in the Budget insufficient The Government’s paltry commitment to cost rental will not solve the rental crisis according to Labour Housing Spokesperson, Senator Rebecca Moynihan who said the State need to build on public land. Senator Moynihan was speaking…
Read more »Long Term commitment needed to reduce class sizes
Department projections provide opportunity for smaller classes. Overall teacher numbers must be maintained and DEIS schools must benefit. Commitment needed from Minister that schools will be protected. With official projections showing the number of children at primary school level will fall up to 2027, Labour Education spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has called for a long…
Read more »Establishment of an Independent Review into Jadotville welcome
Labour Spokesperson on Defence, Senator Mark Wall has welcomed the establishment of an independent review to consider the entire Jadotville case including any new evidence. The review was established following Senator Wall’s motion to the Seanad on the recognition of Irish military service in Jadotville in 1961 and an agreement by all Senators to…
Read more »Taoiseach needs to extend the time limit for Terminal Illness Medical Cards to two years
He has the power to extend the time limit under the 1970 Health Act Speaking in the Dáil, Labour Leader and Health Spokesperson Alan Kelly has asked the Taoiseach to extend the time limit for Terminal Illness Medical Cards from one to two years. Deputy Kelly was speaking after the terminal illness campaigner John Wall…
Read more »Central Bank figures show mortgage rip-off continues
Ireland has third highest mortgage rate in Euro area Value of renegotiated mortgages up 56% in September on August Extension of mortgage moratorium needed to support consumers through pandemic Responding to the latest release of “Retail Interest Rates” by the Central Bank, Labour Finance Spokesperson Deputy Ged Nash said: “Today’s figures show that the mortgage…
Read more »We need to see the plan for rolling out the Covid vaccine
Given the difficulties with the distribution of the flu vaccine The Government need to outline the plan for the roll out of any Covid-19 vaccine according to Labour Leader Alan Kelly who was speaking at Leaders Questions. Deputy Kelly asked the Taoiseach to publish the plan for the rollout of a vaccine and to provide…
Read more »Airport Covid testing welcome but cost could prove prohibitive
Government should temporarily subvent these tests for the period of December The commencement of airport Covid testing is welcome but the cost of the tests could be prohibitive according to Labour Transport Spokesperson, Duncan Smith T.D. Deputy Smith was speaking after the announcement that Dublin airport will get a planning waiver to open Covid-19 testing…
Read more »Minister needs to call time on failed Strategic Housing Development process
Department of Housing more concerned with pleasing developers than sustainable planning SHDs not delivering extra housing and just 3 in 10 developments granted permission have started. A third of units commenced are for Student Accommodation Any permission that has been challenged by Judicial Review has been overturned. Labour Housing Spokesperson, Senator Rebecca Moynihan has said…
Read more »North Quays project must be the catalyst for the rejuvenation of Waterford
Govt were able to allocate €110 million to the project because it was designated an SDZ by Alan Kelly as Minister for the Environment The North Quays project must be a catalyst for the rejuvenation of Waterford city according to Labour Leader Alan Kelly. Deputy Kelly was speaking after it was announced that the…
Read more »Government must take urgent action to tackle domestic violence
Labour Senator Ivana Bacik has called today for the government to take urgent action to tackle domestic violence, in light of the figures released in a report today from Safe Ireland showing a sharp increase in the numbers of women and children seeking support from domestic violence services during the first six months of the…
Read more »Labour publishes bill to protect employees working from home
Working from Home (Covid-19) Bill will address the urgent need for reform following the huge increase in remote working caused by the pandemic. New Bill provides for legal right to switch off. Would also require employers to provide suitable home workstation and flat rate payment to cover costs now shouldered by workers. The Labour Party…
Read more »Statement by Labour Party Leader Alan Kelly
Following the publication tonight of correspondence between the Chief Justice and Justice Seamus Woulfe, Labour Party Leader Alan Kelly said: “This is an unprecedented situation for our judiciary. “A newly appointed Justice of the Supreme Court has lost the support of the entirety of his colleagues. The Chief Justice has said it was the view…
Read more »Ireland and EU must hold their nerve as deadline for a Brexit trade deal approaches
Ireland and the EU must hold their nerve as we enter a crunch week for Brexit talks as the November 15th deadline for an EU-UK trade deal looms according to Labour Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Brexit, Brendan Howlin. Deputy Howlin said: “This is a critical week for Brexit talks and given the stakes are…
Read more »Shovelling money to developers will not solve rental crisis – Government need to commit to more direct build housing
Drop in Dublin rents can be attributed to the decline of Airbnb due to Covid The Government need to commit to funding much more direct build housing to solve the rental crisis according to solve the rental crisis according to Labour Housing Spokesperson Rebecca Moynihan. Senator Moynihan was speaking after the release of the latest…
Read more »Time to close the gender pay gap – government must progress their bill
Women working for free from today with pay gap of 14.4% Bacik calls for support for WorkEqual campaign Action needed from government to implement Gender Pay Gap Information Bill With women in effect working for free from today until the end of the year due to Ireland’s gender pay gap of 14.4%, Labour Seanad Leader, and spokesperson on…
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