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The government has said it will not oppose our motion. They must go further – and actively support it. The Tánaiste should immediately clarify remarks he made in which he suggested Holles Street was a Catholic-ethos hospital, according to Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall. “Leo Varadkar said he worked at the national maternity hospital at […]

Mr Watt’s intervention has ensured this debacle has gone from tragedy to farce The Department of Health is refusing to release details of a review into the new Children’s Hospital to the PAC, according to Social Democrats co-leader, and vice-chair of the PAC, Catherine Murphy. “A comprehensive review of this project,  by the National Paediatric […]

When is this government going to treat women with the respect they deserve The Minister for Health must immediately clarify why restrictions on partners at maternity hospitals are still in place, according to Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns. “It is now more than five weeks since Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan said there was no […]

The Minister should clarify if we have sufficient vaccine supply to offer choice to the over 60s cohort Further consideration must be given to the feasibility of mixing and matching vaccine doses for the over 60s, according to Social Democrats Health Spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “The only vaccine the over 60s cohort was offered was AstraZeneca […]

Is the reluctance, to offer people an alternate vaccine for their second dose, driven by supply or by science? The government should publish its supply forecasts for the coming months for each vaccine currently in use, according to Social Democrats Health Spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “Previously, the Department of Health published vaccine supply projections, which detailed […]

The vote to repeal the Eighth Amendment was a momentous day for women’s rights in this country – but much work remains to be done, according to Social Democrats Social Justice Spokesperson Holly Cairns. “Today is the third anniversary of the vote to amend the Eighth Amendment – a vote that dismantled decades of stigma, […]

Ordinarily, during a crisis, a high-level emergency task force – the National Emergence Coordination Group (NECG) – is assembled to manage the response. Where is the NECG? The cyber-attack is putting at-risk children at increased risk of abuse and neglect, according to Social Democrats Spokesperson on Children Jennifer Whitmore. “Tusla’s computer system has been completely […]

Basking sharks are one of our most treasured species, but unfortunately Irish governments have never protected them Social Democrats TD, and Spokesperson for the Environment, Jennifer Whitmore has today introduced a Bill to the Dáil to make basking sharks a protected species. Deputy Whitmore said: “Basking sharks are the world’s second largest fish and they are regular visitors to […]

The government has apparently pledged €3.69 billon to implement this plan, but that figure is not mentioned anywhere in the report The government’s Sláintecare implementation plan contains a number of positive commitments – but fails to provide a detailed timeline or breakdown of the budget, according to Social Democrats co-leader Róisin Shortall. “It is four […]

Having a baby should be a joyful experience and instead it is being turned into something distressing and stressful by these intransigent rules It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that continued restrictions on partners at maternity hospitals are anything other than misogynistic and cruel, according to Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns. Deputy Cairns said: “It […]

Reports that the Minister for Health tried to exempt the National Maternity Hospital from spending rules for large capital projects are deeply alarming, according to Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall. “Concerns over the National Maternity Hospital are now mounting on two fronts: 1) the ownership and ethos of the new hospital, and 2) the Minister’s […]

Fundamental questions about patient confidentiality, consent, the HSE’s use of power as an employer and data protection remain to be answered by the Department of Health. The appearance of the General Secretary of the Department of Health, Robert Watt, at the Oireachtas Health Committee has raised more questions than answers, according to Social Democrats Health […]

The crucial thing is that we want businesses, when they open, to remain open. As the country prepares to reopen, the government must do everything in its power to ensure there is no return to lockdown, according to Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall. “Today is a positive day and there are many reasons to be […]

It is essential, in the interests of Irish women now and in the future, that the national maternity hospital is fully State owned and free of religious control and influence A new cross-party group has been established, by Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall, to advocate for full public ownership of the new national maternity hospital […]