News

The Social Democrats today launched their policy on children, families, and work/life balance – ‘A New Deal for Parents; Getting it right for children, for families’.  Party spokesperson on Children, Wicklow Cllr and GE candidate Jennifer Whitmore – a working mother of four – and Dublin West Candidate Aengus Ó Maoláin Social Democrats GE candidate […]

‘A health service when you need it, as you need it’.  The Social Democrats will today launch their Health policy document; ‘A health service when you need it, as you need it’. Party Co-Leader Roísín Shortall said the current Irish health service is not set up to best meet the needs of people requiring healthcare. […]

Today, Monday 20th January, Cllr Jennifer Whitmore, Social Democrats, will launch the Party’s Biodiversity proposals as part of their ‘Greener and Fairer’ platform in the General election. Speaking ahead of the launch, Cllr Jennifer Whitmore, the Social Democrats general election candidate in Wicklow said: “Biodiversity loss is one of the most urgent challenges Ireland faces. If we […]

Responding to the revelation that City and County Council newly installed public water fountains will now be classed as ‘commercial’ and that councils will now have to pay business charges to Irish Water, Cllr. Jennifer Whitmore, chair of Wicklow County Council’s Climate and Biodiversity Action Strategic Policy Committee, said: “We will not make any impact […]

The Social Democrats today accused Fine Gael of failing families as new research shows that Ireland ranks among the worst in Europe for meeting people’s childcare and homecare support needs. The party’s Spokesperson for Children, Wicklow Cllr Jennifer Whitmore said: “Ireland’s appalling poor ranking in today’s ESRI study shows the utter emptiness of the Taoiseach’s […]

Social Democrats Spokesperson for Children, Cllr Jennifer Whitmore, has said concerted efforts must be made to reduce high back-to-school costs and relieve stress on parents. Cllr Whitmore was commenting on today’s annual Barnardos survey which found that parents are “stressed out, overburdened and fed up” by the high cost of sending children back to school. […]

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22.3″ custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”excerpt” disabled_on=”on|on|on” _builder_version=”3.26.3″ disabled=”on”] [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://staging.socialdemocrats.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/JenThinkIn3.jpg” align=”center” align_tablet=”center” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”3.26.3″ max_width=”84%” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px” z_index_tablet=”500″] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Body Text” _builder_version=”3.26.3″ ul_font_size=”18px” ul_line_height=”1.7em” ol_font_size=”18px” ol_line_height=”1.7em” text_text_shadow_horizontal_length=”text_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93″ text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_vertical_length=”text_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93″ text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_blur_strength=”text_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93″ text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” link_text_shadow_horizontal_length=”link_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93″ link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_vertical_length=”link_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93″ link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_blur_strength=”link_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93″ link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length=”ul_text_shadow_style,%91object Object%93″ […]

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.8″ custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.8″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”excerpt” disabled_on=”on|on|on” _builder_version=”3.9″ disabled=”on”] Up to half a million families could benefit from extensions to unpaid parental leave under a Social Democrats private members bill which is scheduled to pass through the Oireachtas today. [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://staging.socialdemocrats.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/P1030447.jpg” align=”center” disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”3.9″ max_width=”84%”]   [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Body Text” _builder_version=”3.9″ ul_font_size=”18px” ul_line_height=”1.7em” ol_font_size=”18px” […]

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.8″ custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.8″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”excerpt” disabled_on=”on|on|on” _builder_version=”3.9″ disabled=”on”] The Social Democrats Spokeswoman for Children, Cllr Jennifer Whitmore, today supported the call for an independent evaluation of family hubs, saying housing authorities are desensitised to the devastating impact of homelessness on children and families. [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.9″ src=”https://staging.socialdemocrats.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/JenThinkIn3.jpg” disabled_on=”off|off|off” disabled=”off” align=”center” max_width=”84%” /][et_pb_text admin_label=”Headline” […]

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.8″ custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.8″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”excerpt” disabled_on=”on|on|on” _builder_version=”3.9″ disabled=”on”] Social Democrats Spokesperson for Children, Councillor Jennifer Whitmore today called for new public health guidelines for children playing computer games and a review of how some ‘loot boxes’ and in-game purchases target children. [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://staging.socialdemocrats.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Jennifer-blue-shirt.jpg” align=”center” disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”3.9″ max_width=”84%”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Headline” _builder_version=”3.9″] [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Body […]

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.8″ custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.8″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”excerpt” disabled_on=”on|on|on” _builder_version=”3.9″ disabled=”on”] Social Democrats Spokesperson for Children, Councillor Jennifer Whitmore, has called on the Minister for Health to introduce a Meningitis B catch-up vaccination programme for children and young adults born before October 2016, when the current HSE vaccination programme was introduced. [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://staging.socialdemocrats.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/JenThinkIn3.jpg” align=”center” disabled_on=”off|off|off” […]

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.8″ custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.8″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”excerpt” disabled_on=”on|on|on” _builder_version=”3.9″ disabled=”on”] Social Democrats Spokeswoman for Children, Councillor Jennifer Whitmore, has backed calls for schools to record and report how often they impose reduced school hours on children. [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://staging.socialdemocrats.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/JenThinkIn3.jpg” align=”center” disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”3.9″ max_width=”84%”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Headline” _builder_version=”3.9″] [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Body Text” _builder_version=”3.9″] “The Department of Education itself […]

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.8″ custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.8″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”excerpt” disabled_on=”on|on|on” _builder_version=”3.9″ disabled=”on”] Social Democrats’ Spokesperson for Children, Councillor Jennifer Whitmore, has said the Department of Education must ensure that structural inspections on all 42 schools built by Western Building Systems will be concluded before the end of the mid-term break. [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://staging.socialdemocrats.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/JenThinkIn3.jpg” align=”center” disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”3.9″ max_width=”84%”] […]

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.8″ custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.8″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”excerpt” disabled_on=”on|on|on” _builder_version=”3.9″ disabled=”on” /][et_pb_image src=”https://staging.socialdemocrats.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/profile.jpg” align=”center” disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”3.9″ max_width=”84%”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Headline” _builder_version=”3.9″] [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Body Text” _builder_version=”3.9″] “Today’s Budget provides for an extra two weeks of paid parental leave per parent. This is a meagre allocation – and it doesn’t even kick in until November of next year.” […]