Type: Press

Labour Party Health spokesperson Alan Kelly TD, has called on Minister Simon Harris to explain to women who have been waiting over 28 weeks for smear test results why women who are paying privately can get them in just over two weeks. Deputy Kelly said: “It has been revealed in today’s Sunday Business Post, that…

Labour Senator Kevin Humphreys has declared the planned eviction of eight families and the demolition of eight Local Authority homes on Townsend Street as ‘a disgrace’ and has called on the Ministers for Transport, and Housing, to explain why these residents are only being notified now while residents along other parts of the purposed line…

Speaking in relation to the report of the Climate Action Committee, the Labour Party’s member on the committee Seán Sherlock TD welcomed the strong cross-party co-operation in writing the Committee Report and its comprehensive and detailed recommendations about how Ireland can make a rapid transition to a low carbon society.   Deputy Sherlock said:   …

Speaking in relation to the shocking rise of homelessness beyond 10,000, the leader of the Labour Party, Brendan Howlin TD, challenged Minister Eoghan Murphy’s ideological rigidity. Deputy Howlin said: “I have listened to Minister Murphy claim that Labour spokesperson Jan O’Sullivan’s desire to strengthen tenants’ rights is an ‘ideological’ view. “With over 10,000 people experiencing…

Speaking in advance of the committee scrutiny of Labour’s Bill to restore Town Councils, leader of the Labour Party Brendan Howlin TD called on people in towns across Ireland to support the restoration of Town Councils as an issue in the upcoming local elections. Deputy Howlin said: “Town Councils are good for local economies and…

Labour Housing Spokesperson Jan O’Sullivan TD, has expressed continued frustration at the record level of homelessness with over 10,000 people without a home, and the number of children homeless increasing by a further 160, calling for emergency legislation to halt evictions and cap rents. Speaking today Deputy O’Sullivan said: “These figures are just another reminder…

Responding to the news that only 7% of re-submitted CervicalCheck smear test results have been carried out, Labour Health spokesperson Alan Kelly TD, has said that the HSE must honour their commitment to women who have had a repeat smear carried out. Deputy Kelly said: “It is not good enough that only 7% of repeat…

Labour Party Education spokesperson, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, has called on the Government to consider and implement proposals to assess the Leaving Cert over two years. Senator Ó Ríordáin said: “Anecdotally, we have known for a long time that the Leaving Cert puts an enormous amount of pressure on young students. “Reports will be going to…

Labour Party Health spokesperson, Alan Kelly TD, has said the Government must do more to end delays to cancer patients accessing new cancer drugs and treatments. Deputy Kelly said: “It is a disgrace that cancer patients in Ireland are far less likely to receive new cancer drugs and treatment compared to other European countries. “Currently,…

Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin will be available to speak to reporters today Tuesday 12th March at 11.45am on the latest Brexit developments, and he will be joined by Sen. Kevin Humphreys, spokesperson on Transport, Tourism and Sport. What: Doorstep with Brendan Howlin and Sen. Kevin Humphreys. Where: Leinster House Plinth. When: 11.45am, Tuesday 26th…

As the EU Commission prepares for a no deal Brexit, Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin TD called on Fine Gael to allocate €500 million to a jobs fund if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal in April, and to explain in detail how the Government will support jobs and businesses in…

Labour spokesperson on Employment Affairs, Senator Ged Nash has said it is essential that legislation to tackle bogus self-employment is progressed this week, and that the Fine Gael government can no longer spin their way out of this. Senator Nash said: “On Wednesday the Seanad will take Committee stage of my bill to tackle bogus…

Labour Housing Spokesperson Jan O’Sullivan TD is calling for the 1300 houses currently leased by NAMA to local authorities and housing agencies to be transferred to local authorities and kept in the public housing stock. This follows news today that after any potential sale of these houses, there is no guarantee they will continue to be used as social…

Responding to reports on the implementation review of the 50 recommendations from the Scally Inquiry, Labour Health spokesperson Alan Kelly has said there is still no sign of the report on the outsourcing of work from labs, but based on today’s news, the Government must act quickly to implement open disclosure and resource the National…

Labour Spokesperson on Education Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has called on Ministers for Education Joe McHugh and Mary Mitchell O’Connor to wake up to the ongoing funding crisis in Higher Education. The Labour Party Supports the #FundTheFuture march happening in Dublin today and calls for fully funded higher education made by members of the Coalition for Publically Funded…

Labour’s Euro candidate in Midlands/North West, Dominic Hannigan has challenged Brexiteer MPs to join him on his ‘Bike the Border’ project to demonstrate the danger of imposing a hard border. Speaking at the launch of his online video detailing his cycle along the border Dominic said: “I recently cycled along the border, easily crossing from…

Labour Party Employment spokesperson, Ged Nash has said we must examine the possibility of introducing a four day week and its relationship to productivity as the world of work changes. Senator Nash said: “The world of work is changing rapidly and workers are increasingly being made feel like they need to be constantly available to…

Speaking in reaction to the vulgar sectarianism of Sinn Féin leader, Mary Lou McDonald, the leader of the Labour Party, Brendan Howlin TD, repeated his call for a Forum on Ireland’s Shared Future, to bring all sides together in an open discussion about what an agreed Ireland might look like. Deputy Howlin said: “Sinn Féin…

If the uncertainty and chaos surrounding Brexit continues, it could dominate the European Parliament elections, and crowd out necessary debate on many critical questions facing the European Union and its citizens, according to Labour’s Dublin candidate Alex White.  “The UK is due to leave the EU on 29 March, just eight weeks before the European…

Labour Finance spokesperson Joan Burton has called on the Minister for Finance to stand firm against growing pressure from banking lobbyists and investors to lift the bonus and wage caps in State owned banks. Deputy Burton also called for clarification on any proposed future share sales of AIB. Deputy Burton said: “The report from Bloomberg…

Labour Councillors on Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council have criticised plans by the Council Executive to defy a vote of the elected Council and bring in the newly established Land Development Agency (LDA), describing the move as anti-democratic. The Council voted on Monday night to oppose the proposal to enter into discussions with the LDA in…

Speaking from the #SchoolStrike4Climate march in Cork, Labour Euro candidate for Ireland South, Sheila Nunan has welcomed today’s action by school children around the country who are joining the climate strike. Sheila was joined at the march by Seán Sherlock TD and local Labour representatives. Sheila said: “I am very proud to see school children coming out…

Brendan Howlin TD, leader of the Labour Party, has utterly condemned the terrorist attacks on Muslims in New Zealand. Deputy Howlin said: “On behalf of the Labour Party in Ireland and, I know, on behalf of the vast majority of people of Ireland, I want to add my words of solidarity to the people of…

Speaking in response to the judgement of the Public Prosecution Service to prosecute just one British soldier for his actions on Bloody Sunday, leader of the Labour Party, Brendan Howlin TD spoke of the need for the British state to take responsibility for the actions of its agents and to formally apologise again. Deputy Howlin…