News

HSE has failed to reduce unacceptably long waiting lists The sharp rise in the numbers of children awaiting an assessment of need has been described as utterly unacceptable by Social Democrats health spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “The latest figures provided to me by the HSE are truly shocking. In the first quarter of this year, 4,206 […]

Increase in road toll rates cannot be justified in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis Increased road toll charges due to come into effect next month will heap further pressure on motorists and lead to more price rises for consumers, according to Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy. Deputy Murphy, who is the party’s spokesperson on […]

The government excels at climate rhetoric, but fails dismally at climate action Confirmation that our climate action targets will not be met should not come as a surprise, according to Social Democrats Climate Spokesperson Jennifer Whitmore. “According to the EPA, we have no hope of meeting our 2030 climate action targets. Instead of a reduction […]

Department of Justice must urgently act on report’s findings Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy has called on the Government to urgently implement the recommendations of an independent study which found that an average of four women in Ireland died every year between 2014 and 2019 as a result of family violence. Deputy Murphy, who is […]

The monopoly control of the Catholic Church on our primary schools is a relic from another era The Education Minister must review the school divestment programme after the Census revealed a sharp drop in the number of people who call themselves Catholic, according to Social Democrats Education Spokesperson Gary Gannon. “The Census has revealed that the […]

The Residential Tenancies Board has revealed there were 4,753 eviction notices issued between January and March this year  New figures released by the Residential Tenancies Board highlight the need for the Government to immediately reinstate the eviction ban, according to Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan. Deputy O’Callaghan, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, said: “The […]

Social Democrats to introduce motion seeking a reversal of housing policies that have contributed to a collapse in home ownership levels  The census results published today paint a disheartening picture of the struggles faced by people hoping to buy a place of their own, according to Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan. Deputy O’Callaghan, who is […]

With the Government shamefully failing our most vulnerable people, you would be forgiven for thinking the country was bankrupt The number of people who are homeless continues to rise while members of the Government argue over how to spend a multibillion euro surplus, according to Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan. Deputy O’Callaghan, who is the […]

Eating disorders are serious and complex mental illnesses, yet vital services continue to be under-funded by the Government  Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has called on the Minister for Mental Health and the HSE to explain why no funding has been allocated this year for public specialist eating disorder services. “I was greatly alarmed to […]

Bizarrely, the same law that protects hares also allows for their capture for coursing Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore will introduce a Bill today which, if supported, could result in an effective ban on hare coursing in Ireland. Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s spokesperson on climate and biodiversity, said: “Given the scale of the […]

Those affected must receive adequate redundancy packages from Meta and be fully supported in securing alternative employment Social Democrats enterprise spokesperson Catherine Murphy has expressed disappointment at the scale of Irish job losses announced by Meta today. “My immediate thoughts are with the almost 500 employees and their families affected by the latest raft of […]

Handouts to developers are clearly not making homes more affordable First-time buyers are facing a widening affordability gap when trying to purchase a home, according to Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan. Deputy O’Callaghan, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, said: “A new report from the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) is further proof that […]

One-off measures are simply not enough to prevent households from falling into food or energy poverty The findings of a new survey from Barnardos are a damning indictment of the Government’s failure to get to grips with the cost-of-living crisis, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore. Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s spokesperson on […]

Key appointment is welcome – but timing of announcement raises questions for the Government The appointment of a person to lead State negotiations with religious bodies in relation to requests for financial contributions to the mother and baby homes redress scheme raises questions for the Government, according to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns. “While today’s […]