News

Government must provide realistic alternatives to attending emergency departments The Government’s failure to adequately plan for a winter surge in hospital admissions has resulted in the current crisis in our emergency departments, according to Social Democrats co-leader and Health spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “We have known for some months that there would be an upsurge in […]

Parents and families should not have to wait any longer for the protections and security of legal certainty Confirmation that that Government intends to legislate for international surrogacy is hugely welcome, according to Social Democrats Children’s spokesperson Jennifer Whitmore. Deputy Whitmore, who chaired the Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy, said: “I am pleased that the […]

Women in rural areas deserve certainty about their maternity services The HSE’s suspension of its plans to cancel home births in Cork and Kerry is a good first step – but the misguided plans should be permanently abandoned, according to Social Democrats Cork South West TD Holly Cairns. “In August we learned that the HSE […]

Parents and children deserve action, not apologies, from the HSE  Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns has called for urgent action from the HSE after unacceptably long waiting lists for Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs) emerged today. Deputy Cairns, who is the party’s spokesperson on Disability, said: “It is a matter of deep concern to learn that […]

People with disabilities have been left waiting almost a decade for mobility support schemes to be replaced The delay in introducing a new personal transport scheme for disabled people has been described as cruel and indefensible by Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns. Deputy Cairns, who is a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Disability […]

The Minister must make the enactment of this Bill a priority The government must quickly move to ensure that a policy of open disclosure becomes mandatory within the health service, according to Social Democrats Health Spokesperson Róisín Shortall. Deputy Shortall was commenting after the publication of the final report of Dr. Gabriel Scally into the […]

What mattered most to Vicky was not rhetoric but action The nation is united in mourning the sad passing of Vicky Phelan, according to Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall. “The entire nation is united in mourning after the very sad passing of Vicky Phelan. “Vicky was instrumental in uncovering the CervicalCheck scandal. Her refusal to […]

Vital service to end next month due to lack of HSE funding  The imminent closure of the Mater Hospital’s Long Covid Clinic represents a new low in the Government’s pandemic response, according to the Social Democrats’ co-leader and Health spokesperson, Róisín Shortall. “This morning, the Mater’s Long Covid Clinic was instructed to wind down its […]

Government should be supporting women, not restricting their reproductive and healthcare choices An effective ban on homebirths in rural communities will compromise women’s health and put additional pressure on existing services in maternity hospitals, according to Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns. Deputy Cairns again raised the issue in the Dáil today, amid growing public concern […]

Work to provide safe and legal abortion access in Ireland must continue The 10th anniversary of Savita Halappanavar’s death should allow us to reflect on the progress we have made in the reform of our abortion laws, but also on the shortcomings of the legislation as it stands, according to Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns. Paying […]

Four years after the repeal of the Eighth Amendment, women’s reproductive healthcare is still not a priority for this Government The Minister for Health must urgently intervene to ensure that every maternity hospital in the State offers access to all legal healthcare options to women seeking abortions, according to Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns. Deputy […]

The independence, mental health and employment prospects of disabled people is being limited, and in some cases completely erased Almost 10 years after the closure of two vital mobility schemes, the State is continuing to fail disabled people, according to Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns. Deputy Cairns, who is the party’s spokesperson on Disability, said: […]

HSE figures show that the number of dentists participating in the scheme has dropped by over a third in five years The exodus of dentists from the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) requires an immediate intervention from the Minister for Health, according to Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD. HSE figures obtained by Deputy Shortall […]

Early intervention vital to prevent psychiatric inpatient admissions The alarming rise in psychiatric inpatient admissions for children and adolescents presenting with eating disorders requires an immediate Government response, according to Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns. Deputy Cairns made her comments after figures from the Health Research Board’s (HRB) National Psychiatric Inpatient Reporting System revealed that […]