Type: Speech

Speaking at tonight’s ‘Irish Stand’ event in the iconic Riverside Church in New York City, Labour Party Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has condemned Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s invitation to President Trump.  Senator Ó Ríordáin said:  “As we take an Irish Stand this evening I’m mindful of the subtitle of tonight’s event – in Irish ‘Seas an…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an mBille seo chun Airteagal 40 den Bhunreacht a leasú agus téacs nua a chur ann ionas gur féidir socrú a dhéanamh le dlí chun foirceannadh toirchis a rialáil.  Beidh cead ag gach aon duine a bhfuil vótáil acu vótáil.  Ba mhaith liom go mbeadh gach aon duine ábalta vótáil agus go…

Aontaím leis an Teachta McDonald go bhfuil sé ceart an cheist seo a chur ar mhuintir na hÉireann arís.  Tá an t-am tagtha.  Tá mé cinnte nach é Bunreacht na hÉireann an áit cheart don ábhar seo. I welcome the fact that the Government has published its legislation and its paper on possible implementation of…

Speech by Séan Sherlock TD in the Dail debate on the report on the ‘Review of the Credit Union Sector with specific reference to the Credit Union Advisory Committee Review of Implementation of the Recommendations in the Commission on Credit Unions Report’ This is a timely and very important review of the credit union sector….

Check against delivery 7th March 2018 As of this time last year there were 37,611 people on the housing waiting list in Northern Ireland. 23,694 deemed to be in housing stress. 11,889 of those are deemed to be homeless. Despite our housing crisis, there are more homeless deaths in Belfast than there are in Dublin….

Speech by Labour Senator Ged Nash on the second stage passage of the Labour Party’s Protection of Employment (Measures to Counter False Self Employment) Bill 2018. Seanad Éireann, February 28th Employment policy is at the heart of public policy. There are, of course, core issues to do with pay. How do we get real growth…

I will concentrate on the importance of the Mercosur negotiations. If their outcome and that of Brexit are not successful from our perspective, it is conceivable that our beef industry will be obliterated. Ireland’s interest in the EU-Mercosur talks is clearly centred on beef. Irish farmers are understandably concerned that the EU may grant significant…

Dáil Éireann, February 21st, 2018 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY Page 16 of the 177-page-long National Planning Framework has a section entitled Learning from the Past and it refers to the 2002 National Planning Strategy as being “not a statutory plan with legislative backing” It then refers to the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016 as providing…

On behalf of the Labour Party, I welcome the opportunity to contribute on Second Stage of the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017. Like the Minister, I acknowledge the commitment, drive and focus of my colleague, Senator Gerald Nash, who, when he was Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, ensured a…

CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY Joni O’Sullivan is the mother of a 17-year-old girl who attempted suicide twice because of on-line bullying.  Joni took the brave decision to go public, first on Facebook and then on the Limerick Leader to highlight what was happening to her daughter and to stop it, for her own daughter and for…

I believe the internet is a public space. And I believe that, as with all public spaces, our people deserve protection there. Some will disagree – some see the internet as a great libertarian or anarchist play space.  Labour’s view is that it is a space that needs regulation. Back in 2013, my party college…

Address by Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin TD to the Labour Trade Unionist Conference Saturday 27th January 2018, Wynn’s Hotel, Dublin 1. Check against delivery. Since I became Leader we have engaged in a process of rebuilding our Party and reforming our structures. Recognising our history and traditions has been central to that, and the…

Speech by Brendan Howlin TDLabour Party Leader Motion re: Proposed approval for EU Directive on standards for the reception of applicants for international protection23rd January 2018 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY This proposal is a belated response to a long-running scandal. We have all of us become inured to the unconscionable delays in our asylum decision-making process….

I welcome the Minister to the House, and welcome this important and historic debate. First – I, and my party, Labour, fully support the report’s recommendations, in particular the recommendation that the Eighth Amendment, Article 40.3.3, should be repealed simpliciter. We also support the recommendations for legislation on abortion if repeal is achieved – to…

  On Wednesday 4th May 1983, then Senator, Mary Robinson moved an amendment in Seanad Eireann.   It said that Seanad Eireann refuses to give a second reading to the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution Bill On the grounds that the Bill is so unclear and ambiguous that it is not a proper subject for…

I am an Irishman. Son of a woman forced to leave the Civil Service when she got married. Grandson to women who were born with no right to vote. Brother to a woman born the year the 8th amendment passed – when as Emily O’Reilly put it – ‘The Masterminds of the Right’ got their…

It is now nearly a month on since the December EU Council meeting. Significant progress was made on Brexit and on the EU leader’s agenda. It is unfortunate that debate in Ireland on many of the changes underway in Europe has been limited. And more often lost in the noise over Brexit. Europe is changing….

Statements on Child Homelessness Speech by Jan O’Sullivan TD, Labour Party spokesperson on Housing Dáil Éireann, 15 December 2017 I wish the Ceann Comhairle and other Members a happy Christmas and join him in wishing the staff and ushers the same.  I mean that very sincerely.  What we are talking about today, however, is people…

Dáil Éireann, December 13th, 2017 13th December 2017 Taoiseach, As you will recall this will be the third time I requested a briefing from your officials in advance of the EU Council I hope in future that we will be able to receive more comprehensive briefings on the agenda for the meeting. I appreciate that…

Speech by Joan Burton TD Labour Party spokesperson on Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform Dáil Éireann, Statements on Paradise Papers 8th December 2017 In the context of this discussion and the breakthrough this morning which will allow us to move to the next stage of the Brexit negotiations, one little island did not and…

Speech by Brendan Ryan TD Labour Party Whip and Spokesman on Defence Motion on the proposed approval by Dail Éireann of Ireland’s participation in Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) Dáil Éireann, 7 December 2017 Taoiseach, we are asking you today to halt a vote on PESCO as we have not had enough national debate on the…

*Embargoed until 7.40pm Speech by Brendan Ryan TD Labour Party Whip and Spokesman on Defence Naughten Sleeps through another Wake-Up Call on Climate Change Dáil Éireann, Statements on Climate Change 7th December 2017 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY We need to acknowledge, across the board, in Government and Opposition, that Ireland’s engagement with the climate change agenda…

*Embargoed until 9pm, December 5th, 2017 Speech by Brendan Howlin TD Labour Party Leader and Spokesman on Foreign Affairs Syrian Civil War a Proxy Conflict between Superpowers Dáil Éireann, Motion re. Syrian Sanctions (Independents4Change) Thursday 5th December 2017 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY The conflict in Syria is the world’s gravest humanitarian crisis since the Second World…

Address by Brendan Howlin Leader of the Labour Party At the Labour Party Executive Board, 30th November 2017 Dublin ‘Ireland Deserves Better’ Good evening to you all, Thank you for being here to discuss the forthcoming election. I had wanted to talk to you about the need for a new Democratic Programme for the 21st…