Opposition to Enda Kenny’s visit to Trump chimes with Labour values

Posted on February 08, 2017

In the Irish Times, Brendan Howlin has written about why Labour will continue to oppose Trump.

Five years ago, Fianna Fáil was struggling. They were attracting less support than they had received even in the 2011 election, and they were riven with internal divisions that resulted in Eamon Ó Cuív being sacked from the Fianna Fáil frontbench.

That a party which so spectacularly mismanaged our economy and oversaw the arrival of the troika has once more gain significant public support is encouraging for those of us in the Labour Party who worked to undo that damage, and who believe the the values of social democracy endure.

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Permanent link | Categories: Enterprise Trade & Employment • Equality • Foreign & European Affairs • Social & Family Affairs • Brendan Howlin • Trump • Labour Rebuild • Opinion Piece • Irish Times • St Patricks Day •

Brendan Howlin on the Irish Times podcast

Posted on February 02, 2017

 Listen below to the The Irish Times podcast with Brendan Howlin. In the podcast, Brendan chats to Hugh Linehan and Fiach Kelly about #LabourRebuild, our upcoming party conference and the state of social democracy in these changing times. Have a listen below,

Permanent link | Categories: Arts Sport & Tourism • Communications • Consumer Affairs • Enterprise Trade & Employment • Environment • Equality • Finance • Foreign & European Affairs • Justice • Northern Ireland • Transport • Brexit • LabourRebuild • Brendan Howlin • Irish Times Podcast

Day 17 : #GE16 Equality is the Keystone of What we Believe

Posted on February 19, 2016

Today with launched our plan for a more modern, equal Ireland with Tánaiste Joan Burton, Minister Jan O'Sullivan and former Deputy Leader of our party, Liz McManus.

[Read our Plan for a more modern, equal Ireland here]

If re-elected to Govenment, we will tackle gender pay issues by ensuring large companies and public sector employers make public the details their own internal pay gaps in order to stimulate stronger action towards pay equality.

Highlighting the gender pay gap with Tánaiste Joan Burton, Jan O Sullivan and Liz McManus #GE16

A photo posted by Labour Party (@labourparty) on Feb 19, 2016 at 2:47am PST

 Minister Jan O'Sullivan MC'd the event and spoke about the Labour Party always pushing equality forward in Ireland.

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Permanent link | Categories: Equality • #GE16

#VoteWithUs - Joan

Posted on March 19, 2015

The Tánaiste Joan Burton has made a short video for Vote With Us asking viewers to vote with us on Marriage Equality. In the video the Tánaiste talks about a woman she met recently who wants what every Irish parent wants for their child, to be a full and equal citizen in their own country. 

We'll share more videos from our Labour reps over the coming weeks as they explain why they're voting Yes in the forthcoming referendum. 

(Vote with us is compiling videos from people from all over Ireland, and abroad, who want to share the reasons why they’ll vote YES for equal marriage on May 22nd.)

Permanent link | Categories: Equality • #MarRef • #MarriageEquality

Lesbian and gay couples and families should be treated equally - Deputy John Lyons

Posted on April 15, 2013

Over the weekend the Constitutional Convention met to discuss marriage equality and on Sunday a vote was taken which recommended the holding of a referendum on same sex marriage. Ahead of the Constitutional Convention Deputy John Lyons wrote a piece for the Sun on the convention and below you can read an extract from that article.

The love and commitment that lesbian and gay couples have for each other is the same as that of other couples. We’ve seen that through the more than 1,000 civil partnerships that have taken place all across Ireland since they became available in 2011. Lesbian and gay couples having a civil partnership make the same vows to love, cherish and support each other that couples who can marry do.

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Permanent link | Comments | Categories: Equality

Holmes and Bacik launch Labour's Marriage Equality Bill

Posted on March 19, 2013

Senator Ivana Bacik and Cllr Eoin Holmes, our candidate in the Meath East byelection, launching our Marriage Equality Bill

This morning we were in Meath East with our byelection candidate Cllr Eoin Holmes and Senator Ivana Bacik launching our Marriage Equality Bill.

Download the wording of the Bill from here.

The Civil Registration (Marriage Equality) Bill will remove a specific reference to gender from the legislation that faciltiates civil marriages.

Speaking about the Bill Cllr Eoin Holmes said: "Gay and lesbian people in Ireland have been to the fore in bringing about social change through their courage in coming forward and bring true to themselves." He called on voters in the Meath East byelection to vote for a 'more modern, liberal and tolerant Ireland' by giving their support to Labour.

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Permanent link | Categories: Equality • EoinHolmes • Byelection • IvanaBacik

Labour members work to end discrimination in schools & hospital workplaces

Posted on March 07, 2013

Today five of our Parliamentary Labour Party members, Ivana Bacik, Dominic Hannigan, Ciara Conway and John Lyons published an amendment to the Employment Equality Act 1998, which is aiming to end discrimination in schools and hospitals that are under religious patronage. This amendment will be put before the Seanad on the 13th of March, and we then hope to receive the support of Minister Shatter and the entire government.

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Permanent link | Categories: Equality

Ireland claims historic seat on UN Human Rights Council

Posted on November 13, 2012

With Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Eamon Gilmore at the helm, Ireland has secured its first ever seat on the UN Human Rights Council.

Securing one of three of seats on the council reserved for western countries, Ireland faced competition from Sweden and Greece, yet won the seat receiving 124 votes, only seven fewer than the US and three fewer than Germany.

Welcoming the result, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said, "I am delighted and proud that Ireland has been elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the period 2013-15. This comes at the end of a hard-fought campaign which saw us pitted against four formidable competitors in our group, and I also want to congratulate the United States and Germany for also securing election.

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Permanent link | Categories: Equality • Foreign & European Affairs

Time has come to move on gay marriage - says Gilmore

Posted on July 01, 2012

Announcing today that same-sex marriage is to be included for consideration by the Constitutional Convention, the Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said he believes in gay marriage and that our laws are out of step with public opinion.

"I don't believe that it should ever be the role of the State to pass judgement on whom a person falls in love with, or whom they want to spend their life with. That is why the issue of same-sex marriage is to be included for consideration by the Constitutional Convention. I believe in gay marriage. The right of gay couples to marry is, quite simply, the civil rights issue of this generation, and, in my opinion, its time has come."

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Permanent link | Comments | Categories: Equality

Minister Kathleen Lynch on the Government's first year

Posted on March 08, 2012

This evening we talked to Minister Kathleen Lynch, Minister of State at the Department of Health and Department of Justice, Equality & Defence about her first year in office. You can see what she said in the accompanying video.

Yesterday we spoke to the Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore about the first year of the Government, which you can still view here, and over the next week we will be talking to more Labour ministers about the first year and their plans for the future so do keep an eye out for them.

Permanent link | Comments | Categories: Equality • KathleenLynch