#OurFuture - Labour's Alternative budget

Posted on October 05, 2017

We have made clear that we don't believe there is enough space for any tax cuts in this Budget. Instead, we have argued for the construction of 5,000 public homes, and the funding of Sláintecare (a new national strategy to build our public healthcare system) as the central points of our proposals.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are having a phoney war over tax cuts that will amount to between €2 and €4 per week for middle-income families. We have said that cutting school costs, reducing college fees by €1,000 next year, eliminating hospital inpatient charges, and increasing the public subsidy of childcare would save families a lot more

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Restoring Trust and Confidence in an Garda Síochána

Posted on July 19, 2017

Brendan Howlin addressing the MacGill Summer School 2017 on the topic of restoring trust and confidence in an Garda Síochána.

Permanent link | Categories: Justice • Brendan Howlin

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,

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Watch back Brendan Howlin press Taoiseach to disassociate himself from comments by Minister Ross on judicial appoinments

Posted on November 16, 2016

Over the last while, we have heard Minister Ross declare that reform of judicial appointments is his top priority, far above anything in his own Department, we presume, as he was too busy to debate public transport on RTE Prime Time last night.

Watch back @BrendanHowlin press @EndaKennyTD to disassociate himself from comments by @Shane_RossTD on judicial appoinments. #Dáil pic.twitter.com/fIrSkuedeO

— The Labour Party (@labour) November 16, 2016

During Leaders' Questions today, Brendan Howlin said "focussing on his top priority, he has launched the most aggressive attacks on the judiciary that I have ever heard from a Cabinet Minister."

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We must do more for women affected by domestic abuse

Posted on June 15, 2016

Today during Leaders' Questions Party Leader Brendan Howlin brought up the harrowing statistics of violent abuse against women in Women's Aid 2015 Report. Deputy Howlin called on the Taoiseach to enact legislation to protect women against domestic violence and called on the Dáil to do more than just debate the Report and set up a 24/7 helpline for women affected by domestic abuse to receive support.

Permanent link | Categories: Justice • Brendan Howlin • Leaders Questions

Offering our solidarity with the people of Inner City Dublin

Posted on May 25, 2016

Today during Leaders' Questions our Party Leader, Brendan Howlin TD offered his and the Labour Party's full solidarity and support to the people of Inner City Dublin who are under siege because of criminal activity in the area.

Deputy Howlin said it was important that the Dáil and every Member in it not only stands with the people in the Inner City but is determined to solve the problems they face. 

Deputy Howlin called on the Taoiseach to set up a a multi-agency task force to combat the rise of gangland crime in Dublin’s North Inner City - which the Taoiseach responded positively too and assured Deputy Howlin that all sides of the House will have input into the terms of reference.

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Permanent link | Categories: Justice

Day 11 : #GE16 Standing Up for Safer Communities

Posted on February 13, 2016

Today we launched our plan for community policing and reform of justice with Minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáin , Deputy Joe Costello , Senators Lorraine Higgins and Máiría Cahill .

[You can read our Standing Up for Safer Communities plan here]

Minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáín spoke about  our plan to indroduce a new and comprehensive approach to dealing with drug addicition - "We will put the Drugs Cort on a statutory footing and expand its remit. We must also ensure that the resources of the criminal justice system are targeted at drug pushers and those that wish to damage our communities, not their victims."

An tAire @AodhanORiordain ag caint faoi acmhainní na Gardaí. #GE16 pic.twitter.com/sMU89lAlvg

— The Labour Party (@labour) February 13, 2016

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Government accepts all recommendations of Quirke report

Posted on June 26, 2013

Minister Kathleen Lynch today announced the Magdalene redress fund, which will provide compensation for women who worked in the Magdalene laundries. This comes after the publication of the Quirke Report, which made recommendations for the best means of compensating the Magdalene women.

[Download the Quirke Report here.]

Listen to what Minister Lynch said at today's press conference.

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'Make no mistake, we will see this through' Minister Kathleen Lynch tells the Dáil speaking on the Magdalene Laundry report

Posted on February 13, 2013

Speaking in the Dáil last night Minister Kathleen Lynch about the Magdalene Laundries Minister Kathleen Lynch told the House of the importance to acknowledge the hurt that many people felt during their time in the laundries which was 'exacerbated by the failure of others over many years to listen to their stories or to seek out the truth of what happened to them'.

She said the decision by the Government to establish a committee to look at the issues of the State's involvement with the Magdalen laundries was a 'clear recognition' that that failure had to be addressed and the truth had to be found.

"Indeed, when the truth was found, it had to be told."

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Stimulus Package another step on path to recovery

Posted on July 17, 2012

A €2 ¼ billion infrastructure Stimulus Plan has been announced today by Minister Brendan Howlin, representing a step in the right direction on the path to recovery with the creation of 13,000 jobs, €280m investment in education, €115m in health, €850m in transport, €190m in justice and €1.4b in projects that meet key infrastructural needs.

Among the projects to benefit will be the development and rejuvenation of a campus for the Dublin Institute of Technology at Grangegorman; the upgrading of the N17/N18 Gort to Tuam motorway and the M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy project.

Other projects include €190m to be invested in the State Pathology Laboratory, two new Garda headquarters as well as the provision of two bundles of primary care centres comprising of up to 10 centres.

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