News

Ending homelessness should be a political priority, but it has fallen off the government’s agenda The government must urgently respond to the huge rise in homelessness over the past year, according to the Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. “The number of people who are homeless has increased by a staggering 24pc over the last […]

95pc of Irish householders are living in homes that have not been tested for radon Mandatory testing for radon must be introduced whenever homes are being sold or rented, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. “Exposure to radon gas is the second-leading cause of lung cancer and is responsible for approximately 300 lung […]

If passed, this Bill will create transparency around land prices and developers’ profit margins Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan has advanced legislation that would create a new land price and ownership database. Speaking ahead of today’s Dáil debate on the Bill, Deputy O’Callaghan said: “Issues with land ownership, control and costs have haunted Ireland […]

Instead of pursuing the rapid introduction of a vacant homes tax, the government seems more interested in trying to undermine the rationale for one  The government must stop delaying and introduce a vacant homes tax immediately, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. “The introduction of a vacant homes tax was postponed because the […]

The Social Democrats are moving a motion in the Dáil tomorrow calling on the government to scrap this latest sweetheart deal for developers. The government must scrap its bizarre plan to gift developers up to €144,000 per apartment and instead use the money to deliver affordable, social and cost-rental homes, according to Social Democrats Housing […]

To date, all we have gotten from this government are delays, excuses and prevarications Any further delay to the introduction of a vacant homes tax is inexcusable and incomprehensible, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. “There were reports at the weekend that the introduction of a vacant homes tax is in doubt after […]

Why is there such an unseemly rush to push this deal through cabinet?  The cabinet must not sign off on the national maternity hospital deal tomorrow when a number of significant questions remain unanswered, according to Social Democrats Health Spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “The legal documents underpinning the State’s biggest ever investment in women’s healthcare were […]

There are just 64 properties to rent in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford cities combined – but 225 on Airbnb in Galway city alone Double digit increases in rent, and an unprecedented 77pc collapse in rental supply, are further indictments of the government’s handling of the housing crisis, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian […]

There have now been a number of high profile resignations during Health Minster Stephen Donnelly’s tenure in office It is a huge loss to the public service that the two people who chiefly led the public health response to the pandemic have now resigned, according to Social Democrats Health Spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “Outgoing deputy chief […]

Why is the ambition of this government, when it comes to housing, so pathetically weak? The Housing Minister’s plan to bail out developers out to the tune of €120,000 per apartment, without securing any reduction in the cost of those apartments, is perhaps his most inane policy yet, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian […]

We are still awaiting the government’s updated policy statement on data centres – which has not been revised since 2018 The surge in energy consumption by data centres underscores the government’s ‘see-no-evil, hear-no-evil’ approach to the climate emergency, according to Social Democrats Energy Spokesperson Jennifer Whitmore. “The country has been convulsed in recent weeks by […]

There is a crisis of decreasing rates of home ownership in this country which this government has failed to address The Housing Minister must confirm whether it is government policy that more than 80pc of residential development in Dublin City should be build-to-rent, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. “The proportion of build-to-rent […]

We have seen, with the reported imminent overturning of Roe v Wade in the United States, that rights, once secured, must continue to be fought and advocated for The government cannot sign off on the proposed new national maternity hospital deal while its terms are still shrouded in mystery, according to Social Democrats Health Spokesperson […]

Just 175 social homes were built by the four Dublin local authorities last year It is a shocking indictment of the government’s failed housing policy that child homelessness has increased by 30pc in the past year, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. “Figures released by the Department of Housing today show that homelessness […]