News

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD, today once again raised the issue of the group of asylum seekers which was moved from a Travelodge facility in Swords to the Skellig Star hotel in Cahersiveen. She said that Minister Charlie Flanagan had told her a few weeks ago that the first his Department had heard of […]

Following a process of engagement regarding the Framework Document proposed by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, the Social Democrats have earlier today written to the leaders of those parties confirming that they will not be proceeding any further with negotiations for a Programme for Government. The Social Democrats made clear in the letter that they […]

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy has told the Dáil that the response to the Covid crisis at EU level cannot be similar to the response to economic crash in 2008 which led to extreme austerity for some member states, including Ireland.  She said that all member states would have to appreciate the scale of the problem […]

The Social Democrats will this week take part in a series of separate policy discussions with both Sinn Fein and the Green Party aimed at trying to agree common approaches on a  number of key issues. The party’s co-leaders Catherine Murphy and Róisín Shortall said that the party’s priority is to ensure that a social […]

The new Social Democrats Parliamentary Party met for the first time this morning in Dublin in advance of the Dáil resuming next week. The 6 newly elected deputies held a press conference at the gates of Leinster House where party co-leaders Róisín Shortall and Catherine Murphy welcomed the party’s 4 first time TDs to the […]

The Social Democrats have published a research paper showing that a number of Counties suffer disproportionately when it comes to the allocation of public service resource. Meath and Kildare fare very badly with Wicklow not far behind.  The party says current funding systems have disadvantaged area of high population growth across a large number of […]

The Social Democrats policy document LGBTI+ Justice and Equality will be launched in Limerick today by General Election candidate Jenny Blake. Jenny, who played a key role in the Marriage Equality campaign in Limerick in 2015, said, “I joined the Social Democrats because I see it as the party that has the most empathy and […]

The Social Democrats today set out detailed proposals for a Renters’ Charter to protect tenants and make sure that the rental sector provides affordable and secure homes. The party said that a strong rental sector is a vital part of an overall housing strategy, particularly as one in five people are now renting. Rents and […]

This morning, Monday 3rd February, at an organic farm on the Turkshead Peninsula, Cllr Holly Cairns, the Social Democrats Spokesperson on Agriculture and Cork South West General Election candidate, launches the Party’s policy document ‘Building Sustainable Rural Communities.’ Cllr. Holly Cairns said: “For too long, rural development has been framed as some sort of urban […]

The Social Democrats have today launched their ‘Greener and Fairer’ Climate Policy with wide-ranging proposals to address what they describe as the fundamental issue facing our country and our planet. The party says that creating a sustainable society requires everyone to play their part but at the same time it is important to ensure that too […]

The Social Democrats have today launched their election manifesto entitled ‘Invest in Better’. The document, which is fully costed and runs to 123 pages, sets out a roadmap for what it calls a ‘uniquely Irish version of the Nordic model’ and covers topics from health and housing to LGTBTQI+ rights. The manifesto commits to a […]

Making History: women stepping up to change Ireland The Social Democrats have made history by having the largest ever percentage of female candidates declared for a General Election in Ireland. As a significant political party in the Irish system, they are unique in fielding a slate in GE2020 which features a gender split of 55% female and […]

The Social Democrats will today launch a policy document called ‘Honest Politics – Restoring trust in politics and public life’. The proposals contained in the document aim to tackle corruption in Irish political and public life with an emphasis on strengthening transparency in decision-making processes. The party says public monies and resources are too often […]

The Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy today launches the Party’s housing manifesto for the general election. Called ‘Homes within Reach: Making housing available, making housing affordable’ the manifesto outlines a comprehensive plan to radically rethink public policy to address the housing crisis Ireland faces. Speaking ahead of the launch, Catherine Murphy said: “The key focus in our […]