Type: Press

Speaking at the Press launch in the Mansion House on the new proposals for redeveloping O’Devaney Gardens negotiated by the parties to the Dublin Agreement, Cllr Joe Costello said: “The new proposals are a vast improvement on the previous ones.  80% of the 824 units will now be affordable and social and just 20% will…

Labour Affordable Housing spokesperson, Cllr Joanna Tuffy has said the case of forty students in Santry who have had €20,000 of rental deposits withheld from them, reported in the Irish Independent today, shows once again the urgent need for a rental deposit scheme which Fine Gael have refused to introduce now for over three years….

Labour City Councillor John Maher has demanded the Garda Commissioner and Minister for Justice to account for news reports today that just two Gardaí were able to patrol the city last March on a Saturday night and clarify when additional resources will be made available to Cork, and if the city is impacted by cuts…

Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin TD., has said that a step change is needed in the Government’s approach to drugs and addiction. Deputy Howlin commented: “Deaths from drug misuse have increased massively, from 431 people in 2004 to 736 in 2016, but we have lost the sense of crisis and outrage that this number of…

Labour Party Health spokesperson Alan Kelly TD has called on the HSE to urgently respond to appalling conditions in the psychiatric unit in University Hospital Waterford. Deputy Kelly said: “As reports in today’s Irish Examiner show, the conditions in the psychiatric unit in University Hospital Waterford are completely substandard and require an urgent response from…

Reacting to the latest homelessness figures, Labour Housing spokesperson, Jan O’Sullivan TD, said: “Unfortunately, today’s homelessness figures , which show another 25 children are now living in emergency accommodation, reveal a worrying and consistent trend. “For eight months now, the overall homelessness figures have been at over 10,000 people, and yet again today we’ve seen…

Labour TDs for the Mid West region, Alan Kelly TD and Jan O’Sullivan TD have said Fine Gael are doing the people of the Midwest a disservice when it comes to dealing with overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick. Deputy Kelly, the Labour Party’s Health spokesperson said: “Throughout the month of October, over 1450 people were…

Labour Finance spokesperson, Joan Burton TD,  has called on the Government to ensure the newly announced auto-enrolment pension scheme remains in State control. Deputy Burton raised concern that privatising the scheme would lead to significantly high charges and costs for workers. Deputy Burton continued:  “At long last the Minister has published proposals for a supplementary…

Reacting to the announcement today that the Government has approved the purchase of 41 extra rail carriages, Labour Transport spokesperson Kevin Humphreys highlighted the 50% increase in cost, and the unexplained delay in ordering the much needed trains. Senator Kevin Humphreys said: “Commuters will be thankful that the Minister has finally greenlighted the long delayed…

Labour Cork City Cllr John Maher has criticised comments by a Fine Gael Councillor against a social housing development in Montenotte as stereotypical of a party out of touch with the reality on the ground where their party has ignored the needs of Cork North Central. Cllr Maher said:“We have a housing list that is…

Labour Party Health spokesperson, Alan Kelly TD, has pressed the Minister for Health to deliver on payments for patient advocates. Deputy Kelly said: “Minister Harris must make good on his promise to patient advocates for their time and expertise. “We can’t continue to expect people who have been through the ringer wither through a personal…

Labour Party by-election candidate for Fingal, Councillor Duncan Smith, has called for meaningful engagement in the SK Biotek dispute. Councillor Smith said: “This morning I visited the SK Biotek picket line on Watery Lane in Swords to meet these Biotek workers who are currently engaging in industrial action. I listened to their concerns and reasons…

Labour Housing spokesperson Jan O’Sullivan TD has called on the Minister to admit that the removal of planning functions from Councils to An Bord Pleanála for strategic housing developments of 100 units or more has failed to deliver, and instead of extending these rules that they should now be scrapped. Deputy O’Sullivan said: “The rules…

Reacting to the likely general election in the UK, the leader of the Labour Party, Brendan Howlin TD, said that Leo Varadkar will feel that this gives him the opportunity to seek a general election in Ireland too. If he does, he will want to avoid scrutiny of his government’s failures. Brendan said: “Leo Varadkar…

Labour Party TD for Limerick City, Jan O’Sullivan has said only providing free contraception to young women aged 17-24 is the wrong approach. Deputy O’Sullivan said: “I welcome that a report has finally been produced outlining pathways to providing free contraception in Ireland. However, it is not acceptable that only a certain cohort – women…

Labour Cllr for Dún Laoghaire, Juliet O’Connell has said the recent failure of the Bleeper bike scheme in the town and county shows the urgent need for a public bike scheme as Labour pioneered in Dublin City. A Department of Transport costing shows a €1m investment would enable the rollout of a public bike scheme…

With a planned 72-hour strike action by staff operating Go Safe speed camera vans starting tomorrow morning, Labour Party leader, Brendan Howlin TD has called on the Minister for Justice to clarify if Garda resources will be diverted from communities for road policing this weekend, and outline why the Minister won’t call on the company…

Speaking in relation to the pending decision by European leaders to extend the UK’s membership of the EU, the leader of the Labour Party, Brendan Howlin TD, called on President Macron of France to reconsider his opposition to an extension of three months or longer. Deputy Howlin said: “Press reports indicate that President Macron of…

Labour Party Senator Ivana Bacik has called for stronger Government action to address human trafficking. It comes as investigations continue into the discovery of the bodies of 39 people in the back of a lorry in Essex this week. Senator Bacik commented: “On behalf of the Labour Party, I wish to express my deep sympathies to…

Labour Party Health spokesperson, Alan Kelly TD, has that parents are shouldering an unfair cost burden for boys to receive the HPV vaccine and that a catch up programme must be implemented Deputy Kelly said: “This week, I have received correspondence from parents who are being quoted ludicrous preventative sums of up to €800 to…

Labour Transport spokesperson Kevin Humphreys has criticised the Government for continuously stalling the decision to purchase 41 extra rail car carriages for Irish Rail. Senator Humphreys said: “As the Labour Party has been saying for some time now, our trains are an absolute nightmare for commuters and train users during peak hour. “Workers, parents and…

Labour Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has criticised the decision by Fine Gael MEPs to vote against a Socialists and Democrats resolution in the European Parliament to ramp up search and rescue efforts for migrants in the Mediterranean, saying it shows a lack of solidarity and urgency on the crisis. Senator Ó Ríordáin commented: “In a…

Reacting to the announcement that the European Commission has given approval for Ireland to ban microbeads in personal care and cleaning products, Labour TD Seán Sherlock said: “I welcome news from Europe that Ireland has been given the green light to ban the use of plastic microbeads from personal care and cleaning products, among other…

Labour TD Seán Sherlock has welcomed the overwhelming majority given to the party’s motion to keep Ireland’s broadband network in public ownership. The motion, which was debated during Private Members’ time last night, has been passed by 86 votes to 50 in the Dáil this afternoon. Deputy Sherlock said: “Today’s result has given us a…