News

Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy has said that the latest Garda infighting scandal between civilian head of Human Resources John Barrett and Garda personnel has once again highlighted the absolute necessity to urgently repeal the Official Secrets Act and replace it with legislation that strikes a balance between the vital aims of maintaining the security […]

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD has hit out at comments made by Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin today regarding the speaking time allocated to smaller parties in the Dáil. Deputy Murphy described his proposals as an attempt to silence opposition and said that Fiánna Fail effectively want to control both sides of the House […]

Irish Water’s proposed works on the Vartry reservoir should not go ahead until a full environmental impact assessment is undertaken, Social Democrats’ Wicklow County Councillor Jennifer Whitmore said today. Cllr Whitmore was commenting ahead of An Bord Pleanála’s oral hearing into the planned €200m scheme which opens tomorrow [Monday 12th June 2017] in the Glenview Hotel, Co Wicklow, and is […]

Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy has today highlighted a parliamentary reply that she has received from Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor in relation to resources for the ODCE. In the reply the Minister makes clear that prior to embarking on the Sean Fitzpatrick case, the ODCE were given every opportunity as far back as 2011 to […]

The hospitalisation of 11 workers at the new incinerator at Poolbeg after an uncontrolled release raises serious questions about its safe operating, Social Democrats Councillor Cian O’Callaghan said today. Dublin Bay North Cllr. O’Callaghan said: “This incident is deeply concerning, particularly given that the plant has been up and running for barely a week. It […]

The Social Democrats are pleased to announce that South Dublin County Councillor Dermot Looney has joined the party. Councillor Looney (34) was first elected to South Dublin County Council in 2009. He was re-elected for the Templeogue-Terenure ward as an Independent in 2014. He is from Greenhills, Dublin 12 and works as a primary school […]

The Social Democrats’ Galway representative has called on gardaí to step up safety measures for minority groups following an attack on a mosque in the city last night. Niall Ó Tuathail described the incident as cowardly, and said he had recently written to local gardaí to raise concerns about the emergence of an apparent neo-Nazi […]

NAMA’s concerns about the hoarding of land which should be used for housing could be tackled with increased penalties and incentives contained in an already published Social Democrats’ Bill. The party’s co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said government support for the legislation would show that the Minister for Finance was serious about tackling this problem, which […]

Speaking in the Dáil today, co-leader of the Social Democrats, Róisín Shortall TD, told the Taoiseach that “we cannot wait for the results of yet another review while the force continues to flounder.” In response to the Taoiseach’s claim that the new Commission on the Future of Policing would address the cultural issues in the […]

Co-leader of the Social Democrats Róisín Shortall TD called on the Minister for Housing to urgently introduce an affordable housing scheme. Speaking today in the Dáil, Deputy Shortall said: “Given the pricing trends we’ve seen reported this week, it’s clear the government needs to intervene now. Without urgent introduction of an affordable housing scheme home […]

The first entries on the Dublin City Council Vacant Site Register, published today, show how little is being done by Government to use publicly controlled land to deliver new housing supply in Dublin. Róisín Shortall, co-leader of the Social Democrats, said “In total the sites are valued at €77.7m. Of the 25 sites listed, 11 […]

  The Social Democrats have called for an immediate response from the Minister for Children, Katherine Zappone, to the revelations regarding the role of Tusla in the Sergeant Maurice McCabe affair. Speaking this morning, Social Democrat co-leader Róisín Shortall said; “The extraordinary sequence of events regarding these vile allegations made against Sergeant McCabe require a […]

The Government must immediately address the funding shortage in home-care if its late conversion to the Right to Home-Care is to be believed, said Social Democrats T.D. Róisín Shortall. In advance of the Dáil debate on the Nursing Home Support Scheme (Amendment) Bill 2016, Ms. Shortall said that services for older people have been neglected for […]

Hundreds of families across Ireland are facing massive rent hikes in the coming weeks.  That’s according to the Social Democrats, who today (21.11.16) called on Taoiseach Enda Kenny to take immediate action to prevent a spike in homelessness this winter.   During Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil this afternoon, Róisín Shortall TD, co-leader of the […]