Type: Press

Sheila Nunan slams poor levels of arts funding and pledges to secure Ireland’s share of EU funding. Responding to evidence presented to the Joint Committee on Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht report ‘Arts Matter’ which highlighted the significant cuts imposed over the last decade. Funding for the arts has dropped by ten per cent despite…

US President exploiting Ireland for electoral purposes Labour Senator Aodhán O Ríordáin has said that President Donald Trump is not welcome in Ireland and we should not be facilitating a visit that he will exploit for his re-election campaign. Senator Ó Ríordáin said: “The Irish people do not want Trump to visit here. When he…

Sheila Nunan pleges to fight for pay equality at European Level. Labour Ireland South European election candidate, Sheila Nunan, has hit out at Fine Gael for their lack of urgency in closing the gender pay gap. Speaking ahead of the National Women’s Council of Ireland Hustings in Cork city this evening, Sheila Nunan said: “Labour representatives…

Speaking at the launch of the Labour Party’s new policy on Rural Ireland in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, European Parliament candidate for Ireland South Sheila Nunan outlined her proposals to deliver a Green New Deal, supporting the rural economy, providing a rural transport guarantee, and ensuring decent connectivity. Sheila said: “Across our rural heartlands in Ireland…

The Labour Party has published ‘Connecting Rural Ireland’ our new policy that commits to a Rural Transport Guarantee. Labour TD for Tipperary Alan Kelly who developed key sections to support rural pubs and transport schemes said that solutions are available but the commitment from Government has not been there. The new policy commits to: A…

Labour Spokesperson for Agriculture, Willie Penrose TD, has called for greater investment in farm safety and farm modernisation. The Labour Party has today launched our ‘Connecting Rural Ireland’ Policy Document which included plans to assist farmers with safety standards on farms and calls for the reintroduction of the Early Retirement Scheme previously closed in 2009….

Labour Party launches new policy ‘Connecting Rural Ireland’ Speaking in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, at the Launch of Labour’s Rural Policy – Connecting Rural Ireland: Labour’s Vision for Safe Rural Communities, Guaranteed Rural Transport and a Strong Rural Economy – the party leader, Brendan Howlin TD, committed that Labour will ensure rural Ireland is socially, economically…

Labour Party Health spokesperson Alan Kelly TD has said the HSE should follow the UK’s lead and approve the funding of Spinraza. Deputy Kelly said: “It is time for the HSE to follow the lead of our neighbours in the NHS and sanction the funding of the life-changing drug Spinraza. “Families across Ireland have been…

After another indiscriminate shooting, this time in Donaghmede, Labour Senator Aodhán Ó Riordáin has said the escalating number of attacks show that Fine Gael have lost control of gangland crime, and that the Minister for Justice who has refused to engage with him on Garda resources for the area must now step in. Sen. Ó…

Labour Party Health spokesperson, Alan Kelly TD, has raised concerns about the availability of access to bone density scans in the South-West region, particularly in Co.Kerry. Deputy Kelly said: “GPs in Kerry have publicly stated that bone density scans testing patients for osteoporosis are not available to public patients in Kerry in either University Hospital…

Labour Cork City Council Candidates Peter Horgan, Ciara Kennedy, Luke Field, John Maher and Luke Carroll have called for more public consultation time to be allocated to the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy. “Whilst this is a welcome document, it is a blueprint that will drastically alter the face and environment of Cork City” said…

The leader of the Labour Party, Brendan Howlin TD, has called on the Government to justify giving a private monopoly ownership of the rural broadband network. Deputy Howlin accused Taoiseach Leo Varadkar of learning nothing from the mistake of the privatisation of Eir. Speaking during Leaders Questions in the Dáil, Deputy Howlin said: “Government ministers,…

Labour Party health spokesperson Alan Kelly TD has called for a registered employment agreement to improve pay and conditions for those who work in the home help sector. Deputy Kelly said: “Figures by the HSE have showed there is a pressure on providing home help care across the country. “It is clear that a recruitment…

Labour Defence spokesperson, Brendan Ryan TD has said that the Government must move quickly to implement the recommendations, due today from the Public Service Pay Commission according to an Irish Times report; and ensure that our forces are able to recruit and retain the best. He noted it was convenient that having waited months for…

As Bank of Ireland holds AGM, Dominic Hannigan calls for banks to “begin paying taxes” Irish people are losing out on hundreds of millions a year for public services because banks don’t pay tax on their profits.  That’s according to Dominic Hannigan, the Labour Party’s European election candidate for the Midlands North West constituency. As…

Ireland South European election candidate, Sheila Nunan, has welcomed the commitment of all government parties to develop a National strategy to tackle child poverty. Ms Nunan has committed herself to the development of progressive policies which will focus on the elimination of poverty and social exclusion at European level. Ms Nunan said, “I have a…

Following the publication of today’s Daft.ie report, Deputy Jan O’Sullivan has called on Minister Eoghan Murphy to introduce a rent register and bring in rent controls across Ireland.  Deputy O’Sullivan said;  “A generation is being robbed of both the hope of becoming homeowners and the opportunity to get affordable accommodation while saving for a deposit….

Responding to media reports that the first supervised injecting centre is unlikely to ahead, the Labour Party’s Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has slammed Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance’s lack of faith in this project. Senator Ó Ríordáin said: “Comments reported in today’s Mail on Sunday, show that the Government clearly never believed in drug injecting…

Responding to the recent debate between four contenders to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as President of the European Commission, the leader of Labour, Brendan Howlin TD, called on Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil European candidates to clarify their position on Ireland’s neutrality given the preference of their respective European groups for a European Army. Brendan Howlin…

Labour Senator, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, has called on the Government, Minister for Social Welfare, to immediately begin work with Unions and its members to protect vulnerable Cadbury workers facing redundancy.  Senator Ó Ríordáin said:  “The news of 70 job losses is a huge blow to the community in Coolock. Given the amount of restructuring and changes…

Jan O’Sullivan TD, Labour Party spokesperson on Housing,  has called on the Government to immediately sanction the continued funding of the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan Scheme which has stalled as the original €200 million allocated has run out. Deputy O’Sullivan said:  “Applications are sitting on desks in Local Authorities while families anxiously wait for the…

Speaking in relation to the publication by Government of background papers on the National Broadband Plan, the leader of the Labour Party and former Minister for Public Expenditure, Brendan Howlin TD called for the public to own the proposed national broadband company rather than a private monopoly. Brendan said: “Labour wants to see high speed…

Joe Costello, Labour Spokesperson for Urban Regeneration, has raised concerns over the concentration of student accommodation being developed in the North Inner City. Mr. Costello said:  “The proliferation of student accommodation in the North Inner City is quite alarming. “Much of the accommodation is concentrated around the new Technological University of Dublin in Grangegorman but…

Labour spokesperson on Education, Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has reiterated his proposal for a ban on voluntary contributions. This proposal is included in the Labour Party ’Free Education Bill’ which is being progressed to Second Stage in Seanad Eireann today.  Speaking today Senator Ó Ríordáin said: “We in the Labour party believe that the relationship…