Type: Speech

A well-regulated market economy requires a strong regulator and genuine competition among multiple enterprises. But when it comes to network infrastructure, whether an electricity grid or, as in this case, a network of fibre optic cables, it is often not possible to have multiple competing firms. It is simply prohibitively expensive and patently inefficient to…

Ceann Comhairle, I move the motion. I am sharing time with my colleague Brendan Howlin. The Labour Party believes that if the Government is to spend over €2.9 billion of public money on a broadband network, over 25 years that such a network should be owned by the State.   You’d have to look long…

In April 2018, when Vicky Phelan stood outside the High Court following her decision not to sign a confidentiality agreement regarding her case, she changed Irish healthcare provision forever. Her campaign for justice since then has been one of the most courageous any of us and certainly I have ever seen. When she attended the…

  Yesterday, Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance, with their Fianna Fáil partners, delivered a depressing budget.   Brexit is a real and present danger to our economy.   But that does not mean that all social progress should halt.   This is a “do nothing” budget by Fine Gael that won’t protect many of…

There will be a great deal of sadness, frustration and disappointment in hundreds of thousands of Irish homes tonight as older people in retirement and on pensions from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, carers and people with disabilities who rely on social protection incomes look down the list and see that there…

Contribution by Joan Burton TD to Dáil debate on special needs education: “I would like to especially thank parents in Dublin West who over the past year have mounted a series of public campaigns through meetings, social media and through reaching out to journalists and other media to explain the story of their lives and…

Prepared remarks by Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin TD for the annual Ulster Fry breakfast at UK Labour Party Conference. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. I always enjoy attending the UK Labour Conference, and it is great to catch up with friends and comrades. The bonds of friendship and solidarity…

Speaking in the Dáil in relation to the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union, the leader of the Labour Party, Brendan Howlin TD, has said Ireland must do whatever it takes to preserve jobs and avoid a return to the high unemployment of the last economic crash. Deputy Howlin said: “Brexit-related job losses…

September 17th  2019 I thought I was in Rip van Winkle land for a while. I am the longest serving current member of the Oireachtas agriculture committee – I went on it in 1993, a long time ago. I remember when I protested strongly against the cartel movement and certain individuals taking over particular industries…

‘Building an Equal Society’, opening address by Brendan Howlin TD To the Parliamentary Labour Party Away Day In Nano Nagle Centre, Cork. We believe in the fundamental equality of every person, and the right of every person to a decent standard of living. I believe that a great many people share this belief and want to see…

Speech by Brendan Howlin TD, Leader of the Labour Party Tom Johnson Summer School 2019, Galway It is important for all of us to be challenged by analysis and argument about our society’s problems and how to solve them. Listening to good analysis is also important to flush the facile right-wing media commentary out of…

Opening address by Cllr Níall McNelis to the 25th Annual Tom Johnson summer school On behalf of Galway City and the great Atlantic patchwork of the West of Ireland, let me thank you for the privilege of giving the opening address of this important summer gathering. You are all welcome to Galway, the cultural capital…

Remarks in the Dáil on post-EU Council meeting statements by Brendan Howlin TD, Leader of the Labour Party. I want to focus my remarks on the publication by the European Council of its New Strategic Agenda for the period 2019 to 2024. It is worth recalling the composition of the European Council. Of the 28…

Statement in advance of the EU Council meeting, 19 June 2019 by Brendan Howlin TD. The European Council meeting on Thursday will bring together the heads of government from across Europe to agree a shared vision for what is a crucial period in the history of post-war Europe. It is no exaggeration to say that…

The crisis we are discussing was readily predictable. Ireland, like other countries across Europe, is experiencing a rapid demographic change as our population ages. This ageing is set to increase over the coming decades. Since 2006, there has been a 36% increase in our elderly population. The number of people with disabilities has increased by…

Speaking in the Dáil on Tuesday 11th June during ‘Statements on Northern Ireland’ Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin outlined his views on the need for an all-Ireland forum to discuss what a unitary Irish state might look like, saying: I welcome reports that parties in Northern Ireland are meeting as part of a sincere effort…

Remarks at the Annual James Connolly Commemoration at Arbour Hill, 12th May 2019 by Brendan Howlin TD, Leader of the Labour Party. Howlin says broadband should be publicly owned; and FG is opposed to State role in economy.  We are here to remember James Connolly, and to honour all of those who founded the labour…

Remarks by Brendan Ryan TD in the Dáil debate on the report of the all-party Climate Action Committee, 9 May 2019 The climate challenge facing Ireland boils down to one simple fact: greenhouse gas emissions. Our economy is based on burning fossil fuels. We burn oil, gas and peat for electricity generation, for industrial processes,…

Speaking today in the Dáil Jan O’Sullivan TD, Labour spokesperson for Enterprise and Innovation, said of the National Broadband Plan; “The question of rural broadband is not about whether or not we should deliver it. Everyone agrees that we should have comprehensive broadband for everyone in this country. “Everyone wants the benefits in terms of…

Labour Spokesperson for Rural and Community Affairs, Willie Penrose has spoken in Dáil Éireann about the need for investment in the public banking model in Ireland. Deputy Penrose has called on the Minister for Finance to strengthen regional development through investing in alternatives to pillar banks. The public banking model can help overcome difficulties in lending…

Speech by Deputy Brendan Ryan in Dáil Éireann on Labour’s housing motion ‘Building Homes for the Future’.  Deputy Ryan said; The time for a state-led approach to housing is long overdue and unfortunately, this Government has driven us further and further towards a market-led approach. This has been a disaster. The shift in Government policy in 2016 towards a landlord-led solution to…

Speech by Deputy Willie Penrose in Dáil Éireann on Labour’s housing motion ‘Building Homes for the Future’.  Deputy Penrose said; I am proud that Labour has brought forward this motion, based on our comprehensive housing policy which would see 80,000 homes built over 5 years. Our housing policies are practical, implementable, fully-costed and place the…

Remarks on the Thirty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Neutrality) Bill 2018 9 April 2019 The policy of the Labour Party is unambiguously to support Ireland’s longstanding policy of military neutrality. And by debating this Bill, we have a useful opportunity to re-state our perspectives on what Ireland’s neutrality means today. That’s perhaps the real purpose…

I welcome the Minister to the House and welcome the opportunity to speak in support of this Bill. I am really delighted to see this important, practical and compassionate reform of the Constitution proposed and would acknowledge the work of Minister Josepha Madigan in highlighting the need for this reform. Thanks to Ursula Ni Choill…