Type: Press

Labour Senator Mark Wall has called once again for the representative bodies of our Defence Forces such as PDFORRA to be allowed affiliate to ICTU and access the industrial relations machinery of the State as recommended by the ESRC. Senator Wall said: “Due to a lack of action, PDFORRA has now had to lodge a…

Labour Education spokesperson, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, has called on the Government to provide clarity on the possible reopening of some schools before September. Deputy Ó Ríordáin said: “Minister McHugh indicated last week that the Department of Education is preparing to propose an earlier than planned reopening of some schools. “If this is to happen it…

– Will Fine Gael caretaker government cut the €350 payment later this week? Labour Social Protection spokesperson Ged Nash has called for answers from the caretaker government on their plans for the €350 Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment ahead of a vote on the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection estimates on Thursday. Deputy Nash…

Language used is divisive and straight from the Varadkar ‘welfare cheats’ playbook  With large parts of the economy still closed, Labour’s Social Protection spokesperson Ged Nash TD said it would be unacceptable for Fine Gael to cut the COVID-19 income of the lowest paid in our society in June, as reported in today’s Sunday Times….

With continued speculation that social distancing may be reduced from two metres to one, Labour Party Leader Alan Kelly said the Minister for Health should immediately carry out an audit of the impact such a change would have by increasing capacity of the health service to treat more patients. Deputy Kelly said: “If social distancing…

Five years after Ireland voted overwhelmingly for marriage equality Labour LGBT said there was still more to be achieved, but remembered the historic role of Eamon Gilmore and the Labour Party in bringing forward the 2015 referendum, and the huge grassroots campaign of people coming together to achieve equality that inspired a generation. Labour LGBT…

Labour Party TD for Fingal, Duncan Smith, has called on the National Transport Authority to accelerate the roll out of contactless payments on public transport services. Deputy Smith said: “As more and more people move to cashless payments in light of Covid-19, it is time for the National Transport Authority to introduce contactless payments on…

With the caretaker Fine Gael government now indicating there will be a €30 billion deficit and looking at ways to cut social welfare spending, Labour TD Ged Nash has called on the acting Minister for Finance to now publish revised deficit and budget figures for the year. Deputy Nash said: “The Stability Programme Update was…

Labour Party TD for Dublin Fingal, Duncan Smith, has called for a working group with a mandate to investigate the treatment of migrant workers in the agriculture sector. Deputy Smith said:  “It is my view now that there needs to be a working group established immediately with a mandate to investigate the treatment of migrant…

Responding to reports that the ASTI is advising its teachers to wait until it has received appropriate legal protection before engaging with the new Leaving Cert grades system, Labour Education spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said: “This is an extremely worrying development in the Leaving Cert 2020 debacle and frankly highlights the legal fragility of this…

With the Government now moving to indemnify teachers and schools from any legal cases, Labour Education spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said it is essential that the legal advice received by the Minister on the cancellation of the exam be published. Deputy Ó Ríordáin said: “The Minister for Education will today seek Cabinet approval for a…

Labour Party spokesperson on Sport, Senator Mark Wall has backed the call from the Federation of Irish Sport for supports to help sporting organisations and clubs survive, and get back up and running. Senator Wall said: “While some tennis and golf returned since Monday, for all other organised sports it has been a long ten…

Where is the Taskforce FG promised over 100 days ago? Following another shooting today, this time in Coolock, Labour TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said that gun crime was out of control and that additional garda resources and a designated task force, as was promised, is now needed on the northside of the city. Deputy Ó…

In the Dáil today, Labour’s Brendan Howlin TD questioned the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure in relation to EU COVID-19 funds. Deputy Howlin said: “We must learn from the experience of the last crisis where, unfortunately, there was a distinct lack of solidarity across the European Union towards those countries worst affected by the…

Labour Senator Marie Sherlock has again called on Government to take seriously the issue of women returning to work from maternity leave. Senator Sherlock said: “It is nearly a month now since an anomaly was first identified in the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) that is resulting in some new mothers returning to work being disqualified…

Ged Nash TD has slammed Fine Gael for failing to legislate to protect and improve the rights of workers in liquidations, four years on from the publication of the Duffy-Cahill review which was prompted by the Clery’s debacle. Labour’s Employment spokesperson, speaking after he attended a protest by Debenham’s workers at Leinster House said: “The…

Minister failed to adequately answer questions in Dáil on Cahersiveen last Wednesday  Labour Justice spokesperson Seán Sherlock said it is not good enough for the Minister for Justice to publish an apology to Kerry people, and that he should now address the Dáil and shut down the failed centre in Cahersiveen. Deputy Sherlock said:“The Minister…

In light of the Covid emergency, Labour spokesperson on Education, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, has called for a moratorium on primary schools losing teachers in September. Deputy Ó Ríordáin said: “I know of a number of schools that are within just one pupil of retaining a teacher and whose appeal has been turned down by the…

Labour Party member of the Special Committee on Covid Response, Duncan Smith TD, has called for updated cost projections for the National Children’s Hospital to be published. Deputy Smith said: “Following my questions at the first public meeting of the Covid19, the head of Construction Industry Federation Ireland stated that the costs of large scale…

Senator Mark Wall has urged the Minister for Education to engage further with all schools in South Kildare  and to provide additional ASD units and places. Senator Wall was commenting after the Minister responded to a Dáil question on the issue. “In his reply the Minister told us that there are at present 77 special…

Labour Party Leader and Health spokesperson, Alan Kelly TD, has raised concerns about the future status of cancer screening. This comes as the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Ronan Glynn, said that he cancer screening won’t commence for the “foreseeable future”. Deputy Kelly said: “The comments made by the Deputy Chief Medical Officer today are…

Nash Welcomes Macron and Merkel’s joint proposal for the creation of an EU bond to raise €500 billion to boost the European economy Labour Party TD for Louth,Ged Nash,  has said last night’s Franco-Germany decision represents a momentous turning point in the history of the EU “The proposal to share the financial burden of recovery through…

Labour Party Senator, Rebecca Moynihan, has called on the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to suspend regulations for co-living spaces. This comes as a planning application has been sent to Dublin City Council for a co-living space on Jervis Street. Senator Moynihan said: “We do not know how long we will be living…

Labour Education spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has written to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission on behalf of the Labour Party, calling for it to examine whether disadvantaged schools will be negatively impacted by the use of school profiling in this year’s revised Leaving Cert. Deputy Ó Ríordáin explained: “I appreciate the difficulty faced…