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March 15, 2010
Labour Bill highlights rights of child to care and responsibility of both parents
The Bill we are publishing today will bring our law and practice into line with the reality of life for many thousands of families in Ireland.
The emphasis in our Bill is not on competing or conflicting rights of parents, but rather on the rights of the child to the care and responsibility of both parents - married or not.
Largely because of the peculiarly strong Family provisions in Article 41 of the Constitution, we have failed to recognise that very many people nowadays live in stable and loving relationships and families which are not families in the traditional sense.
We believe that this Bill bring Ireland into line with important provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and also the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Bill has with the significant potential for enhancing children's rights, according to Senator Alex White.
Deputy Kathleen Lynch says the law badly needs to be updated.
Deputy Roisin Shortall says the law will enhance the rights of children.
Permanent link | Posted in Equality • Social & Family Affairs
March 12, 2010
Government's response to Labour Bill 'very disappointing'
Top: David Fitzsimons, Retail Excellance Ireland; Bobby Kerr, Insomnia Bottom: Ben Pete, Peats; Deputy Ciaran Lynch, Peter MacDonald, The Bodyshop
This week on behalf of the Labour Party I presented a Bill during private members Time that would have allowed hard-pressed businesses in the retail sector get fair and decent rent.
This follows many meeting I have had with retailers across the country who are locked in to lease agreements that have upward only rent reviews.
What this means is that every time the rent comes up to be reviewed it can only be increased because of legislation governing commercial rent agreements.
The retail industry in Ireland employs over 300,000 people and is the single biggest private sector employer.
Rent as a percentage of operating costs because of upward only rent reviews now accounts for the biggest single operating cost, and a cost they have no control over because of current law, for these businesses as sales continue to drop.
The Government's response to the Labour Party Bill was very disappointing and in particular their argument there are legal difficulties to resolving this matter without producing the legal evidence to support their case to my mind questions where this Government's priorities are when it comes to protecting businesses and jobs.
We are witnessing shops closing in every village, town and city across the country; all of these in constituencies where the Government holds seats. Both businesses and workers in the retail sector should be interested to know how their local TD voted in this matter, you can check here (scroll down to see results).
By Ciaran Lynch TD - Labour Spokesperson on Housing and Local Government (follow Ciaran on Twitter)
You can view the Labour contributions to the debate at the links below and read the full debate on the Oireachtas website, Tuesday evening and Wednesday evening.
Deputy Ciaran Lynch - introduction speech and summation speech
Permanent link | Comments (0) | Posted in
March 11, 2010
Work Placement Programmes with the Labour Party
The Labour Party is currently recruiting two positions under the Fás Work Placement Programme (WPP) - a Fundraising Officer and a South West Support Officer.
Full details can be found at: http://www.labour.ie/recruit
Permanent link | Posted in recruitment
March 10, 2010
Harney has been a hopeless Minister for Health
Yesterday the news broke that more than 58,000 x-rays were not examined by a radiologist in Tallaght Hospital and according to the Minister for Health she was made aware of this problem in December but only realised the full scale of the problem yesterday.
Labour Leader Eamon Gilmore TD raised the issue during Leaders' Questions and called on the Taoiseach to appoint a new Minister for Health and Children during his forthcoming cabinet reshuffle.
"If the Minister for health and Children was told by the new chief executive office of a hospital that there was a problem - and told it at a time when the Minister has been in and out of this House and involved in public controversy about misdiagnoses and problems associated with tests not being looked at and so on - I do not understand why she did not go on alert.
"What did she do between the time she was told about it in December and now when it has come into the public domain... She has been a hopeless Minister for Health and Children and it is time she was moved."
Eamon also called on the Government to ensure the 23,000 x-rays which need to be reviewed to be done as a matter of urgency.
You can view Eamon's full contribution on the you tube video while the full debate is available to read on the Oireachtas website.
Permanent link | Comments (0) | Posted in Health • eamongilmore • leadersquestions
From Blackberry to baby bottle
Cllr Claire O'Regan speaking at party conference
Just in case you miss it our own Cllr Claire O'Regan was one of the new mammies interviewed for today's Irish Independent feature 'From Blackberry to baby bottle'.
Claire was one of our new representatives who did well in the Local Elections and elected to Dublin City Council in her first attempt last June. In December she welcomed baby Maeve and in the article she talks about the lack of maternity provisions being one of the barriers for women in Irish politics.
You can read it at the following link.
Permanent link | Comments (0) | Posted in
March 09, 2010
Gilmore calls on Taoiseach to support Labour's plan to reduce commercial rent
Throughout the country retail businesses are being pushed to the wall having been locked into leases which were negotiated in better and more promising times.
The issue of upward rent reviews was raised during Leaders' Questions this morning in advance of the same issue being debated in Private Members' Time this evening in the Dáil.
The Labour Leader Eamon Gilmore TD urged the Taoiseach to support the Labour Party Private Members' Motion which will allow the downward revision of commercial rents.
Eamon said: "In every shopping street and centre in the country, retail businesses are pushed to the wall. They are trying to get costs down, custom through the door, to survive and to keep people in employment.
"One major problem many such businesses face is that they have been locked into leases negotiated in much better and promising times.
"Instead of putting up obstacles and telling us why he cannot do it, will the Taoiseach join us and other parties in this House in doing something positive today?
You can see the full exchange on the Oireachtas website and we will be posting our members' contributions on the blog as Private Members' takes place. If you're interested in watching the Private Members' debate live, you can do so at the following link (the debate will take place from 7.30pm Tuesday, March 9th and from 7pm on Wednesday, March 10th).
We also want to know what you think, do let us know in the comments section below.
Permanent link | Comments (0) | Posted in leadersquestions • eamongilmore
March 08, 2010
Happy International Women's Day
Joan Burton TD, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Katherine Dunne, Labour Women Chair presenting Mahin Sevidvash of UNIFEM with a cheque.
Labour Deputy Leader Joan Burton TD along with Labour Women marked International Womens' Day by donating to a UNIFEM project which builds shelters for women fleeing violence in Haiti.
Katherine Dunne, Labour Women Chair said, "Women are second-class citizens in Haiti. The minimum legal age for marriage is 15 years for women. Rape was only made a criminal offence in Haiti in 2005. Like domestic violence, women associate rape with shame. There are little protections for girls and women.
"In Haiti, women come last. After the earthquake the situation is even worse with shelters gone, family protection gone and schools gone. With this donation Labour Women want to help and also highlight the dreadful situation with violence against women in Haiti.
"This small donation comes from Labour Party women from all walks of life. Women of all ages, many giving from their pensions or student budgets, have donated to this appeal. It is a donation from the women of Ireland to the women of Haiti."
There are other events organised to mark this day DIT Labour Youth will be holding a stand in the foyer of DIT Aungier Street, Dublin between 11am and 1pm, (find out more on Facebook).
In Dublin North Central, Cllr Aodhan O'Riordain is hosting an informal chat (with coffee and cake) at 8pm in the Le Chéile Centre, Donnycarney with Cllr Claire O'Regan, Bronwen Maher and Sinead Seery.
Permanent link | Comments (0) | Posted in joanburton • labourwomen
March 03, 2010
No urgency from Government on jobs - Gilmore
With an impending reshuffle Leaders' Questions this morning in the Dail saw Labour Leader Eamon Gilmore demand the Taoiseach establish as part of that Government reshuffle a Minister with a dedicated responsibility for employment.
"There is an urgency in the employment issue and getting people back to work. From the Taoiseach's earlier reply, neither he nor any member of Government appears to appreciate or understand this urgency. We can only judge the Government's performance by results."
Eamon told the Taoiseach that the Government's policy on jobs is not working, we have record levels of unemployment and little or no action on the part of the Government to deal with it.
Watch Eamon on Leaders' Questions in the accompanying video and the full transcript of this morning is available on the Oireachtas website.
Permanent link | Comments (0) | Posted in eamongilmore • leadersquestions
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