News

Social Democrats Cllr. Jennifer Whitmore has questioned the delay to the rollout of the Out-of-Hours GP service for North Wicklow. Whitmore said: “In January this year, Minister Harris made an announcement of an Out-of-Hours GP service for North Wicklow. North Wicklow is one of the few urban areas in the country that doesn’t have a […]

Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy has today written to the Data Protection Commissioner on foot of a parliamentary reply she received from the Department of Finance as to the circumstances surrounding the circulation of internal IBRC documents by a former IBRC executive. Deputy Murphy had asked the Minister for Finance if he had engaged with […]

The Social Democrats have selected Aengus Ó Maoláin to contest the next general election in Dublin West for the party. Party members met in the Bell in Blanchardstown on Monday the 9th of April where Ó Maoláin was chosen unanimously to represent the party. Speaking at the convention Ó Maoláin said, “the Social Democrats speak […]

The Social Democrats today called on Facebook to notify Irish holders of up to 45,000 Facebook profiles if their data was potentially affected by the Cambridge Analytica data breach. Fingal Co Councillor Cian O’Callaghan said: “More than two in three Irish adults are on Facebook. Any of these people must be today asking themselves if […]

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD today called on the Government to wake up to the crisis in General Practice and set out a timetable to reverse austerity cuts which are harming GP practices and patients. Deputy Shortall made her comments as major differences have emerged between the State and doctors over the scale of […]

The Social Democrats today said the forthcoming review of the relationship and sexuality curriculum in schools must also lead to the introduction of support programmes for parents and guardians. Welcoming the announcement that a review of the curriculum is to be carried out, the party’s political director Anne-Marie McNally said: “Relationship and sexuality education in […]

INM data breach highlights urgent need to address media ownership issues Social Democrats Political Director Anne-Marie McNally has once again highlighted the significant issues with media ownership & control in Ireland in light of today’s Sunday Times revelations regarding Independent News and Media (INM). The Sunday Times reports that the Office of the Director of […]

The oversight by the Department of Finance on the Special Liquidators handling of the liquidation of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC) has been, and continues to be, woefully inadequate, Catherine Murphy TD has said. In the wake of a damning second periodic report by the Public Accounts Committee which includes a section on the […]

The Social Democrats today highlighted their recently published Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy and said the time for Irish society to start having open and frank conversations about sexuality and healthy sexual expression has never been more appropriate. The party’s Political Director Anne-Marie McNally said that if we don’t create the space to have these […]

The Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy is seriously failing homeless families, Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD has said. Deputy Murphy was speaking after the release today of Department of Housing figures which show that the number of families living in emergency accommodation increased by 222 from January to February of this year. The figures […]

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD has expressed incredulity at the findings of the review into the Department of Justice’s failure to forward key documents to the Charleton Tribunal. Deputy Shortall said: “The review carried out by Senior Counsel Michael Collins shows an alarming degree of incompetence and laxity within the Department in its handling […]

Commenting on the government’s decision to expel a Russian diplomat today, Social Democrats’ co-leader Róisín Shortall TD said: “This decision is a very significant foreign policy development, particularly given the fact of Irish neutrality. Such actions should always be carried out first foremost in the national interest and be underpinned by solid security analysis. “It […]

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD today rebuked the Taoiseach for continuing to deny promised rights to people with disabilities. Deputy Shortall made her comments after the Taoiseach refused, in response to her questions in the Dáil, to commit to the immediate implementation of a crucial part of the UN Convention on the Rights of […]

The Social Democrats have called on the Tánaiste to rethink his proposal for a two-thirds majority lock in any law that would follow a repeal of the Eighth Amendment. The party’s co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said today: “I very much welcome the fact that Mr Coveney has reconsidered his position on the abortion issue in […]