Type: Press

On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Labour Senator Mark Wall has urged the Government to outline in detail a road map for our older population as we all continue to look forward to the easing of the restrictions around Covid 19. Senator Wall stated that he was aware of a number of older people who…

Every child has a right to education, impact of blended learning on children must be analysed. Labour Education spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has highlighted the legal requirement on the Minister for Education to consult with all education stakeholders if he plans to refuse enrolled pupils access to schools for a portion of the week when…

-Reopening plans lack clarity and need to be backed by capital measures.  -No clarity on what will happen if schools refuse to take part in Summer Provision The Minister for Education needs to clarify what will happen if schools refuse to take part in the Summer Education Programme, said Labour Education Spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin…

the EU next generation fund of €750 billion has only allocated €3 billion to Ireland With Brexit on the horizon, the Irish economy is already facing significant damage. Wexford Labour T.D Brendan Howlin has called on the Government to ensure an adequate proportion of this sizeable fund comes to Ireland. Deputy Howlin said: “It was…

Labour Seanad Leader Ivana Bacik has called on the Irish government to condemn the Israeli Government’s plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank as early as next month. Senator Bacik said: “This week, the German Foreign Minister joined countries like France in communicating his government’s opposition to the potential annexation of parts of…

Labour Senator Marie Sherlock has called on the Government to extend maternity leave for three months for women returning to work. Speaking at the handover of a petition of over 25,000 signatures to extend maternity leave, Senator Marie Sherlock said: “Working parents and particularly mothers are experiencing real difficulties in accessing childcare as they are…

Labour Party Leader, Alan Kelly TD has written to the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade seeking immediate action from the Government on the involvement of the Kinahan organisation in an international boxing event. Deputy Kelly said: “We as a country can’t tolerate a situation where one of the biggest boxing events in…

Speaking in the Dáil on the Annual Climate Transition Statements, Labour TD Duncan Smith called on the Minister for Transport, Tourism, and Sport to ensure the MetroLink project would not be shelved as a cost cutting measure due to the current economic difficulty. Deputy Smith said: “We need this project, not only for north County…

Labour Party Education spokesperson, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, has called on the Department of Education to reverse their position and provide school meals over the summer. Deputy Ó Ríordáin said: “In reply to a Parliamentary Question, the Department of Education confirmed to me that they will not be providing school meals this summer. “Many European countries…

Responding to the publication of the funding package for childcare providers to cover the reopening of services, Labour spokesperson on Children and Youth Affairs, Seán Sherlock welcomed the extensive commitment, but warned that the Department must be nimble in responding to issues that may arise in the weeks ahead. Deputy Sherlock said: “Parents and providers…

The Minister for Education has confirmed to Labour TD Ged Nash that the on-site Safe Pass programmes are to recommence across the country from next Monday, 15th June.  Deputy Nash said; “I have been campaigning for this for some weeks now and I am pleased to have secured a result. “You are not permitted to work on a construction site…

Will parents have to pay more for full time care due to gap in funding for several weeks? Families and providers need to know what the funding package for the childcare sector will be when it reopens, and what impact the decision to halt ECCE funding in April may have on fees for parents, said…

Young people still being gouged for the price of a home. Extended freeze on rents and evictions needed now. With rents recording a 0.6% increase in May according to a Daft report, and Dublin labelled as the most expensive city to move to in the Eurozone, Labour Senator Rebecca Moynihan has said there is a…

Labour member of the Special Committee on COVID-19 Response, Duncan Smith TD, has called on the Government to provide reusable face masks and instructions on proper usage to each household in the country. Deputy Smith said: “At today’s meeting of the Special Committee on COVID-19 Response I raised the issue of each household receiving reusable…

No worker must lose their job Labour calls for joint WRC and Government guidance for workers Responding to Minister Harris’s comments today that families will have to secure a “dig out” for getting childcare, Senator Marie Sherlock said that Government has once again shown that it has derisory understanding of the function of childcare for…

Responding to the comments today of the Minister for Justice, Labour Senator Annie Hoey said transformation of Direct Provision is not enough and that legislators must act to translate the anger over racism and direct provision in Ireland into concrete action, and take on board the reforms that groups have called for over many years….

Labour Seanad Leader Ivana Bacik has written to the Taoiseach alongside Senator Michael McDowell and eight other Senators (including all the Labour Senators), seeking a date for the first sitting of the Seanad, without the 11 Taoiseach nominees, so that vital legislation can be passed. The unlikely alliance of Senators will apply to the High Court for…

2 cent difference in wages will discriminate against young people and women Timing of Minimum wage change would move someone working 20 hours to higher payment Labour Senator Rebecca Moynihan said the changes announced by Minister Doherty to the €350 Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) yesterday are unfair and impact disproportionally on younger people who…

Labour Party Leader Alan Kelly TD, has welcomed the Government’s decision to take on the Labour Party’s call to reduce the easing of restrictions from five phases to four but failed to provide details on reopening the healthcare system, and the cut to Covid-19 payments will discriminate against young people. Deputy Kelly said: “The last twelve…

Legislators must act to translate the anger over racism and direct provision in Ireland into concrete action, said Labour Senator Annie Hoey, and take on board the reforms that groups have called for over many years. Senator Hoey said: “Now is time for aspirations to be transformed into laws and policy changes after the immense…

– COUNCILS SHOULD BE FREE TO MAKE DECISIONS ONLINE DURING CRISIS Press Statement by Cllr John Walsh on behalf of Fingal Labour Group Cllr John Walsh (on behalf of the Labour Group on Fingal County Council) called on the Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy TD, to prepare legislation to allow Councils throughout the country to…

Labour Party Senator Rebecca Moynihan has called for an online sales tax to be examined. Senator Moynihan said: “We know that there has been a massive surge in online spending since Covid-19 arrived on our shores. Many companies that Irish people are buying from don’t have a bricks and mortar presence in Ireland and are…

– Focus must be on retraining and supporting people back into work With hundreds of thousands of people out of work through no fault of their own, Labour TD Ged Nash said the Fine Gael obsession with cutting income supports is wrong, and government efforts should focus on supporting people back into work. Deputy Nash,…

Reacting to news that Aer Lingus are seeking to implement further unilateral pay cuts to their staff, Labour TD for Dublin Fingal, Duncan Smith, has called on the Government to give assurances that the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme will be available to the aviation sector until the end of 2020. Deputy Smith said: “It is…