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Dublin Central TD Gary Gannon has called on the Minister for Education to come into the Dáil next week and account for the latest recall of sanitiser products from schools. Deputy Gannon, who is the party’s spokesperson on Education, said: “Just one week after the ViraPro hand sanitiser brand was recalled from schools due to […]

Responding to the reports in the Irish Examiner that the government did not follow the Data Protection Commissioner’s (DPC) advice on the Mother and Baby Homes Bill, the Social Democrats spokesperson for children, Jennifer Whitmore TD called on the Minister for Children to immediately publish the advice given to the Department by the DPC. Deputy […]

Róisín Shortall TD, co-leader of the Social Democrats, has called on the HSE to issue urgent medical advice after a hand sanitiser product used in schools was recalled due to a potential public health risk. Deputy Shortall, who is the party’s spokesperson for Health, said: “The priority at this point has to be to get […]

Jennifer Whitmore TD, Social Democrats spokesperson for Children, has called on the Government parties to allow a vote of conscience on controversial legislation that would seal the records of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby homes for 30 years. Deputy Whitmore said: “This is a very emotive and sensitive issue. I have spoken […]

Social Democrats Housing spokesperson and Dublin Bay North TD, Cian O’Callaghan, has tabled amendments to the Residential Tenancies Bill 2020 that would see the ban on evictions extended for six months. Deputy O’Callaghan said: “Today, I’m proposing an amendment to the Residential Tenancies Bill 2020 that would extend the ban on evictions for six months. Yo-yoing in and […]

Jennifer Whitmore TD, Social Democrats spokesperson on Climate Action, said that a report detailing the deliberate killing of hundreds of birds of prey highlights the urgency for the establishment of a Wildlife Crime Unit. Deputy Whitmore said: “The report revealed that the vast majority of Ireland’s birds of prey killed by human attacks or other […]

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall has expressed serious concern at revelations that the Minister for Health only learned of the unfolding crisis with the contact tracing system on Tuesday night. Deputy Shortall, who is the party’s spokesperson on Health, said: “Today’s statement from the Department of Health on the collapse of the testing and tracing […]

Social Democrats Housing spokesperson and Dublin Bay North TD, Cian O’Callaghan, is calling on the Government to extend the planned ban on evictions for six months. Deputy O’Callaghan said: “We need decisive, concrete action from the Government on evictions. Bouncing in and out of temporary and partial bans is not good enough at this stage. […]

Jennifer Whitmore TD, Social Democrats spokesperson for Children, has welcomed the publication of an expert advisory group’s report on reforming Ireland’s direct provision system. Deputy Whitmore said: “The advisory group, which is led by former Secretary General of the European Commission, Dr Catherine Day, has sent a list of recommendations to the Minister for Justice Helen […]

The Social Democrats believe it is imperative that proposed legislation to seal the records of the archives of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes for 30 years is not passed into law when it comes before the Dáil this evening. A number of amendments to the Bill have been put forward by […]

The Social Democrats have called for assurances from senior management around the future of Ulster Bank in Ireland. The call comes from the party as the Minister for Finance meets the bank today. Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD said: “There has been speculation for weeks around the future of Ulster Bank. Neither bank management in Ireland, nor the parent company Natwest, […]

The Social Democrats have called for swift action to introduce a targeted sick pay scheme for staff in the nursing home sector and meat industry. Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD today raised with the Taoiseach the need for the immediate introduction of a targeted scheme for staff who are particularly vulnerable. Commenting, Deputy Shortall said: “We have repeatedly […]

Holly Cairns TD, Social Democrats spokesperson for Further and Higher Education, has called on the Government to immediately address the impact of Level 5 restrictions on third level students. Holly said: “As the lockdown comes into effect this week, college students will face a particular set of challenges, so it is essential for the Government […]

The passing of legislation that would result in the archive of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes being sealed for 30 years would be an act of political cowardice, according to the Social Democrats. Dublin Central TD, Gary Gannon, said: “This week, politicians across the island received thousands of emails from citizens […]