December 04, 2009 RSS

Deputy Joan Burton speaking on Labour's Pre-Budget submission

In this post our Finance Spokesperson Deputy Joan Burton talks about our Pre-Budget submission which was launched today.

Between flash floods, swine flu and our ill-fated World Cup adventure there is little in the way of hope and optimism about these days. Non-stop talk about our faltering economy does nothing to lift the sense of gloom.

Even with a hairshirt budget on the horizon, however, I think there is cause for hope.

Ireland can and will get through our economic difficulties as long as we focus relentlessly on tackling the jobs crisis.

Yes, we need to deal with the Fianna Fáil budget deficit, but we need to do it fairly.

We need to protect people who depend on child benefit or the old age pension to make ends meet.

Read the full article »

Permanent link | Comments (0) | Posted in Finance • budget • joanburton

December 03, 2009

Child benefit motion debated in the Dáil

As we posted earlier in the week the Dáil debated a Labour Party motion during Private Members' which sought to protect child benefit in next week's budget.

The debate was held over two evenings, on Tuesday and Wednesday, and unfortunately the motion was defeated when the Government voted in their own amendment.

The video in the post shows Deputy Roisin Shortall, spokesperson on Social and Family Affairs, proposing the motion while a number of the other Labour contributions were recorded which you can view in the links below:

Deputy Eamon Gilmore

Deputy Joan Burton

Deputy Joanna Tuffy

You can also read the full debate from the two evenings on the Oireachtas website, you can find Tuesday here and Wednesday here.

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Permanent link | Comments (0) | Posted in Social & Family Affairs

December 02, 2009

Labour Youth launch their pre-Budget submission

Rory Geraghty is the Chair of Labour Youth and here he posts about their pre-Budget submission which was released today.

Today we're launching a pre-budget submission to tackle Youth Unemployment.

Since taking office, this government has watched unemployment amongst under 25s treble. Currently Ireland has over 100,000 young people who cannot find work and who are not in full-time education.

Within this, the rate is a shocking 36.4% of people aged 15-19 and 23% between the ages of 20-24.

Cutting social welfare payments for U25s is not the answer. Already too many young people are struggling to survive on what little they have.

Read the full article »

Permanent link | Comments (0) | Posted in Labouryouth

Cowen questioned on negotiations into public sector reform

Welcoming the decision not to strike tomorrow (Thursday December 3rd), the Leader of the Labour Party, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, questioned the Taoiseach today about negotiations into public sector reform saying that Cowen is now in a position where there is a very narrow period of time within which agreement can be reached.

He said: "Does the Taoiseach intend to conclude an agreement before the Budget? Does he accept that any agreement which is negotiated will have to be put to a ballot?

"He is now in a situation that such a ballot will have to take place before the Budget and may, in turn, be influenced by its content. Has the Taoiseach considered what his position will be if an agreement is not accepted in a ballot?

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December 01, 2009

Gilmore challenges Cowen on school patronage in aftermath of Murphy Commission

Following the release of the deeply disturbing Murphy Commission which looked at clerical child sex abuse allegations in Dublin's Catholic archdiocese, the Labour Leader Eamon Gilmore TD questioned the Taoiseach about whether or not Bishops who were criticised in the report should be allowed to continue as patrons of schools.

He said: "It is time for the Government to stand up and say 'no'. People who have been found to have neglected their duty and not to have followed up on complaints which were made about the serious abuse of children should not continue to be in powerful positions in respect of schools young children are attending."

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Giving Rural Ireland a Lift

This morning Labour Transport Spokesperson Tommy Broughan TD along with colleagues Sean Sherlock TD and Senator Phil Prendegast published Labour's proposals for protecting rural public bus services, Giving Rural Ireland A Lift.

Rural public transport services have come under savage attack from the Fianna Fail/Green government. Proposals are being reviewed at the moment to slash Bus Eireann services and fleets around the country.

Read the full article »

Permanent link | Comments (0) | Posted in Transport • tommybroughan

November 30, 2009

Labour motion seeks to protect child benefit

This week in the Dáil will see the House debate a Labour Party motion which seeks to protect Child Benefit in the forthcoming December Budget.

Proposing the motion, Deputy Roisin Shortall, our Spokesperson on Social and Family Affairs, said: "The Labour Party recognises that child benefit accounts for a significant proportion of the social welfare budgets, but there are compelling reasons why it should continue to be a universal payment paid at the current rate.

"Families throughout the country are struggling to make ends meet in the face of the high cost of raising children and the cuts that have already been made to family incomes. In addition, there is no recognition in the Irish tax system of the costs associated with bringing up children."

Read the full article »

Permanent link | Comments (1) | Posted in Social & Family Affairs • PMM • roisinshortall

November 27, 2009

Childers portrait unveiled in the Dáil

This afternoon saw the unveiling in the Dáil of a newly commissioned portrait of Robert Erskine Childers, grandfather of our own MEP for Ireland East, Nessa Childers.

Childers, a patriot and author, was executed in 1922 and is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery. His portrait which was painted by artist John Devlin, will be displayed in the Leinster House reception room.

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