Protecting the common travel area on our island must be a top priority

Posted on November 02, 2016

Speaking at the All Island Dialogue on Brexit today, Brendan Howlin urged the EU to allow us to draw down funds to reskill people in the sectors that will be hit the most by #Brexit.

Protecting the common travel area on our island must be a top priority @BrendanHowlin told #allislanddialogue this morning. pic.twitter.com/bek850sial

— The Labour Party (@labour) November 2, 2016

"Clearly Ireland will be proportionally most affected by Brexit, so EU structural funding should be deployed to mitigate the impact as far as possible. I would be interested in hearing how we are interacting with the European Commission to ensure that funding that is there, that we negotiated in our own time, can be deployed effectively.

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We can and we will rebuild this historic party of ours. #LabourRebuild

Posted on October 25, 2016

Last night, we held our #LabourRebuild Dublin regional meeting in Liberty Hall. Party Leader Brendan Howlin spoke to a packed room of Labour members and supporters about the different ways we can rebuild our Party. Watch his speech back below or read it in our media centre.

Our General Secretary, Brian McDowell launched our #RightSteps childcare campaign. Find out more about the campaign and download our campaign toolkit here . 

Our General Secretary Brian McDowell going through #LabourRebuild plans

A video posted by Labour Party (@labourparty) on Oct 24, 2016 at 11:17am PDT

 Our TD for Limerick City, Jan O'Sullivan went through the Constitutional review the party is undertaking - to find out how you can get involved email [email protected]

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Don't bet on Budget being fair, progressive or even sensible when it finally lands

Posted on October 10, 2016

Today, on #Budget2017 eve, Brendan Howlin has a piece in today's Irish Independent on what tomorrow's Budget will or won't bring.

Over each of the last five years, I spent the equivalent of a weekend putting in late hours in the office, finalising documents, and concluding the haggling with different ministers. It's an odd feature of the Budget process in Ireland that even though we're talking about a Budget package of more than €50bn, the fighting always comes down to the last €10m or so.

Last year, it was Kathleen Lynch who caused the last sleepless night before the Budget.

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Building a Shared Prosperity

Posted on October 06, 2016

Today we launched our alternative budget - Building a Shared Prosperity  with Brendan Howlin, Joan Burton and Seán Sherlock.

The Labour Party is presenting an alternative budget today, because we believe that a fully costed, progressive budget is possible.

With the chaotic nature of the current Government, we have a responsibility to have proposals ready that can be implemented if the need arises.

The amount of funding available for investment next year is limited. We don’t believe that using a third of this money to give people a tax break likely to equate to as little as the price of a coffee each week will have a real impact on people.

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Permanent link | Categories: Finance • Budget

Bringing a bit of craic agus ceol to Kildare Street

Posted on September 28, 2016

Ahead of his cross-party briefing on the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2016, Wille Penrose hosted a wee séisiún with some of Ireland's best homegrown musical talent.

Under the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2016, a quota of at least 40 per cent of the airtime allotted to music on Irish radio stations would contain a distinctive Irish element, as a condition for the awarding of all sound and broadcasting contracts.

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Low income families deserve Christmas clarity in #budget17

Posted on September 28, 2016

Labour Party leader and Wexford TD, Brendan Howlin, has called on the Government to provide clarity on whether or not the Christmas Bonus will be paid this year. The payment was partially restored over the last two years, with a 75% Christmas Bonus paid to all social welfare recipients last year. However in his response to Deputy Howlin in the Dáil today, the Taoiseach wouldn't confirm if the payment would go ahead this year.

Low income families deserve Christmas clarity - @BrendanHowlin #Dáil https://t.co/kzFGQGjoMW pic.twitter.com/mHmIas6Mxp

— The Labour Party (@labour) September 28, 2016

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Will #Budget17 see a focus on Early Years Education?

Posted on September 27, 2016

Today during Leaders' Questions in the Dáil, our Spokesperson on Children and Youth Affairs Jan O'Sullivan asked the Taoiseach if#Budget17 will see a focus on Early Years Education. Deputy O'Sullivan asked the Taoiseach what options are on the table in regard to Early Years Education and if those working in the sector can expect to see any increases in their pay. 

Permanent link | Categories: Children • Jan OSullivan • Leaders Questions

Our job is a simple one – to rebuild the Labour Party.

Posted on September 26, 2016

Party Leader Brendan Howlin speaking at our #LabourRebuild think in. Since the election 400 new members have joined the party with hundreds more signing up to Labour Youth in college campuses around the country. Our rebuild won't be easy but it will be done through hard work and principled and progressive campaigns and policies.

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Howlin to launch bill to halt pregnancy advice ‘lies’-Ellen Coyne (The Times Ireland)

Posted on September 16, 2016

Following on from her investigation into rogue crisis pregnancy agencies Ellen Coyne has written in today's The Times Ireland on legislation Brendan Howlin is launching at Labour Women Conference to tackle these rogue crisis pregnancy agencies.

Brendan Howlin is set to put forward legislation that would regulate crisis pregnancy agencies and force them to provide women with accurate information.

The Labour leader will announce his plan at the Labour women’s conference tomorrow in response to a report by The Times that exposed a clinic, run by a Catholic group, that was claiming abortions could cause breast cancer and turn women into child abusers.

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We all knew #AppleTax was coming, so why did Government not have answers ready?

Posted on September 04, 2016

In today's Mail on Sunday our Party Leader Brendan Howlin has a piece on his reaction to the Government not being prepeared for Apple Tax and why we need to close more tax loopholes. 

Kids went back to school this week. But not by accident.

Over the last few weeks, parents have been buying schoolbags and uniforms, and bracing themselves for an emotional day if they have kids starting school for the first time. Teachers have been getting ideas and lesson plans ready to start inspiring the next generation. Parents, teachers and kids themselves have been getting ready.

For reasons I can’t understand, our Government wasn’t able to get itself ready for an even bigger day - the day that the EU decided Apple owed us €19bn.

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