Type: Press
Michael Cawley’s position is untenable
Michael Cawley’s position is untenable and the Tourism Minister Catherine Martin and the Minister of State, Jack Chambers need to state their position on his holiday to Italy according to Labour Spokesperson on Tourism and Sport Senator Mark Wall. Senator Wall said: “Minister Martin and Minister Chambers need to come clean and state their position…
Read more »More supports needed for midlands counties
Kildare South based Labour Senator Mark Wall has called for additional supports for the midland’s counties affected by Covid-19 restrictions. Senator Wall said while aspects of the Government’s package of measures are welcome, additional supports are needed to help businesses and people living in lockdown affected counties. Senator Wall said: “While the additional…
Read more »Midlands bailout is too little too late for struggling businesses
The package of supports to be announced by the Government in Kildare, Laois and Offaly will be too little too late for struggling businesses in the region according to Labour Enterprise Spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin. Deputy Ó Ríordáin said: “The package of supports to be announced today are insufficient. A once off additional payment of…
Read more »School transport announcement worrying, Minister needs to show leadership
Labour Education Spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has described as worrying the announcement from the Department of Education that school buses will operate as normal and carry the same number of pupils as usual with no requirement to maintain a social distance on the bus. Deputy Ó Ríordáin said: “There are a number of questions that…
Read more »Government need to outline what protections they will put in place for people who are evicted or else face a winter of evictions and infections
Speaking after nine tenants were evicted from a house in North Dublin, with a number of men repossessing and boarding up the property, Labour Housing Spokesperson Senator Rebecca Moynihan has said that we are facing into a winter of evictions and infections unless the Government act to increase security for tenants. Senator Moynihan said: “We…
Read more »Programme for Government Commitments Not Enough: Substantial house building programme needed in Budget 2021
Labour Housing Spokesperson Rebecca Moynihan has called for a substantial programme of house building as part of Budget 2021. Moynihan was speaking after the publication of a report by property economist Ronan Lyons and industry body Irish Institutional Property (IIP) showing that as many as 47,000 houses will have to be built each year for…
Read more »Minister for Education must come before Covid committee
Labour Party Education spokesperson, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD, has called for the Minister for Education to come before the Oireachtas Covid Committee to answer the many questions that remain around school reopening. Deputy Ó Ríordáin said: “We are now two weeks from when schools are supposed to reopen and still so many questions remain. “Today…
Read more »Anomaly in Restart Grants needs to be urgently addressed
The Tánaiste needs to instruct his officials to urgently address an anomaly with the Restart grant according to Kildare South based Labour Senator, Mark Wall. Senator Wall said: “I have been contacted by several angry business owners in Kildare who did not apply for the initial Restart grant before the scheme was abruptly terminated last…
Read more »Government adopts Labour proposal of a traffic light system for Covid-19
The Labour Party Representative on the Oireachtas Covid-19 Committee Duncan Smith T.D has welcomed the Government’s decision to take on board the Labour proposal of a traffic light system for Covid-19. Deputy Smith said: “I put it to the Minister in the Dáil in early July that we would need a traffic light system where…
Read more »Model for funding care of the elderly needs urgent reform
The model for funding the care of the elderly needs urgent according to Labour Senator Annie Hoey who was speaking after the publication of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General detailing the failures of the Fair Deal Scheme. Senator Hoey said: “Demand for nursing home places exceeds supply every year and my Labour…
Read more »Businesses need clear guidance on enforcement procedures for face coverings
Businesses need clear guidance on enforcing rules mandating customers to wear face coverings according to Labour Enterprise Spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin. Deputy Ó Ríordáin said: “While the new guidelines introduced yesterday are welcome and shop owners are reporting strong compliance with the regulations, businesses need guidance on what to do if a customer refuses to…
Read more »Students should have the option of accommodation refunds given they will not be on campus fulltime next year
Students should have the option of refunds from Higher Education Institutes and student accommodation providers given they will not be on campus fulltime when third-level institutes resume due to Covid restrictions according to Labour Spokesperson on Further and Higher Education, Senator Annie Hoey. Senator Hoey said: “Students and their families are under enough…
Read more »Launch of Decision Support Service website one of many steps toward fulfilling UNCRPD obligations
Labour Senator and spokesperson on Children, Disability Equality & Integration, Ivana Bacik has welcomed the launch of the new Decision Support Service website and has called on the Government to expedite the full implementation of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015. Senator Bacik said: “I am very pleased to see the launch of the new…
Read more »Scottish experience shows Government must ditch school profiling
Labour Education Spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has again called on the Government to ditch the system of school profiling as part of this year’s revised Leaving Cert. Deputy Ó Ríordáin said the Scottish Government decision to announce changes to their system of grade moderation, which saw the marks of students in the poorest areas marked…
Read more »Minister for Health should close affected meat plants
The Minister for Health should order all the affected meat plants in Laois, Offaly and Kildare closed until it is safe for them to reopen according to Kildare South based Labour Senator, Mark Wall. Senator Wall said: “We have had several Ministers of State in recent days calling on the remaining meat processing plant to…
Read more »Decision by Bank of Ireland to refund customers affected by ‘smishing’ scam welcome
– Awareness campaign needed on text message fraud The decision by Bank of Ireland to refund customers affected by the ‘smishing’ scam is welcome but the Government needs to launch a comprehensive public awareness campaign targeting text message fraud according to Labour Finance Spokesperson Ged Nash T.D. The Louth and East Meath Deputy said: “I…
Read more »Statement by Alan Kelly T.D following the death of Brendan Halligan
Speaking after the announcement of the death of Brendan Halligan, former T.D, M.E.P, Senator and General Secretary of the Labour Party, Labour Leader Alan Kelly said: Brendan Halligan was a committed Socialist and a proud Labour man who I enjoyed speaking with until very recently about the future of our party. Brendan was a fascinating…
Read more »Questions remain around Government decision to recommend teachers and students wear facemasks
Questions remain around the Government decision to recommend teachers and students wear facemasks according to Labour Education Spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin. The updated recommendations were published by the Department following engagement with education stakeholders. Deputy Ó Ríordáin said: “There are a number of questions that need to be clarified by the Minister before schools return…
Read more »Lockdown fund needed to support businesses in Kildare, Laois and Offaly
Kildare South based Labour Senator Mark Wall has called for the creation of a lockdown fund to support businesses and those who had booked staycations as the counties of Kildare, Laois and Offaly are placed on a two week localised lockdown. Senator Wall said: “A fund must be established in the form of grants to further…
Read more »Increased Covid cases highlight the need for social distancing wardens
Cllr. Joanna Tuffy, Labour Councillor on South Dublin County Council has repeated her call for social distancing wardens to be employed by City and County Councils. Cllr. Tuffy said: Responding to the recent increase in cases in a number of counties Cllr. Tuffy said that there is a real danger that the message about the need to continue…
Read more »Statement by Senator Mark Wall on special measures for Laois, Offaly and Kildare
Kildare South, Labour Senator Mark Wall has urged the public in Laois, Offaly and Kildare to heed the measures regarding the localised restrictions announced by Government today following a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in the three counties. Over 292 cases of Covid-19 have arisen in Laois, Offaly and Kildare in the last…
Read more »Winter of hell awaits unless action taken on ED wait times
A winter of hell awaits unless action is taken on wait times at Emergency Departments according to Labour Leader and Health Spokesperson Alan Kelly who was speaking after receiving a reply to a Parliamentary Question outlining the amount of time persons are waiting in emergency departments by number of hours. Deputy Kelly said: …
Read more »Urgent action needed to protect workers at meat factories
-Minister must establish a working group Urgent action including the established of a working group to investigate the industry needs to be taken to protect workers at meat factories according to Duncan Smith, Labour Representative on the Oireachtas Covid-19 Response Committee. Deputy Smith was commenting after it was revealed that four food processing plants…
Read more »O’Malley Report recommendations must now be implemented
Labour Senator and Party spokesperson on Children, Disability Equality & Integration Ivana Bacik has welcomed the publication of the review of the investigation and prosecution of sexual offences in Ireland, also known as the O’Malley Report, and has called for its urgent implementation. Senator Bacik said: “The O’Malley Report was commissioned to consider how best…
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