News

The Social Democrats will bring a Private Members’ Motion before the Dáil tomorrow, Wednesday, September 30, calling on the Government to set an ambitious target for the elimination of consistent child poverty in Ireland by 2025. Jennifer Whitmore TD, the party’s spokesperson for Children, said: “Our motion calls on the Government to firmly state that […]

Jennifer Whitmore TD, Social Democrats spokesperson on Children, has backed calls for the Government to commission an expert report to examine the feasibility of a four-day working week. Deputy Whitmore made her comments after attending a public briefing event by the Four Day Week Ireland campaign this morning. She said: “The Social Democrats fully support […]

Social Democrats TD for Wicklow, Jennifer Whitmore, says the recent Ombudsman for Children report reinforces concerns over the negative impact that Covid-19 is having on children, particularly as they reintegrate into the school environment. Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s spokesperson on Children, said: “The Ombudsman for Children in Ireland published its annual report which […]

Social Democrats TD for Wicklow and spokesperson on Children, Equality and Integration, Jennifer Whitmore, has described Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Greece as “wholly inadequate”. Deputy Whitmore said: “Greece is seeking emergency humanitarian intervention from EU countries after a fire in the Moria refugee camp on the island of Lesvos […]

Social Democrats TD for Wicklow, Jennifer Whitmore, has renewed her call for the appointment of an Online Safety Commissioner following the stark findings of new report from Cyber Safety Ireland. Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s spokesperson on Children, said: “The report revealed that more than 90 percent of children aged between eight and 12 […]

Social Democrats TD for Wicklow, Jennifer Whitmore, has called for proper consultation with groups representing people living in poverty and disability organisations when climate action policies are being developed. Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s spokesperson on Climate, made her comments following the recent publication of the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy by […]

Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore said today that the findings of a UNICEF survey on the mental wellbeing of children and adolescents highlight the need for the Government to invest in further supports for young people as our schools reopen. Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s spokesperson on Children, said: “The findings of the UNICEF […]

The allocation of ringfenced funding for the implementation of Sláintecare is key to the delivery of free GP care for children, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore. Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s spokesperson on Children, said: “It is understandable that the planned extension of free GP care for children aged between 6 and […]

The second phase of unpaid parental leave brought in by the Social Democrats Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2019 comes into effect next Tuesday, 1st September 2020. Four additional weeks of unpaid leave is available to parents, following on from the four weeks that became available last September, bringing the amount of unpaid parental leave available to […]

Social Democrats spokesperson for Agriculture, Holly Cairns TD, and the party’s spokesperson for Climate Action and Environment, Jennifer Whitmore TD, believe that the Government’s new Forestry Bill is significantly flawed and in direct contravention of EU Directives and the Aarhus Convention which protect people’s rights to appeal decisions in environmental planning. Deputy Whitmore and Deputy […]

Jennifer Whitmore TD, Social Democrats spokesperson for Children, has called on the Government to fast-track Covid testing for childcare staff. Deputy Whitmore said: “I welcome confirmation from the Department of Health that the testing of school children and staff for Covid-19 is to be fast-tracked to enable results within 24 to 48 hours. “However, this same […]

Jennifer Whitmore TD, Social Democrats spokesperson on Children, said that the Government must try to ensure that they communicate public health information for the childcare sector in a way that does not appear to contradict HSE guidelines. Deputy Whitmore said: “I welcome the HSE’s latest guidelines for parents as children begin to return to childcare […]

The Social Democrats have called for mobile Covid-19 testing units to be rolled out for schools to help identify outbreaks and prevent widespread closures in the event of clusters emerging. Gary Gannon TD, the party’s Education spokesperson, said: “As primary and secondary schools start to reopen this week, there is understandable anxiety among parents, students, […]

Reacting to today’s Supreme Court decision to quash the Government’s 2017 National Mitigation Plan, Jennifer Whitmore TD, Social Democrats spokesperson on Climate, said: “This decision should serve as a wake-up call for the Government. We need to act decisively and urgently to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and this means frontloading measures that will see […]