News

Households need immediate assistance to deal with crippling arrears The Government must use the summer months to put targeted supports in place for households caught in an endless cycle of energy poverty, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore. Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s energy spokesperson, made her comments after hearing submissions to the […]

House prices continue to rise while developers’ profits soar The latest Residential Property Price Index from the CSO will provide no comfort to those hoping to buy a home of their own, according to Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan. Deputy O’Callaghan, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, said: “The figures show that house prices continue […]

Dr Muldoon deserves support, not platitudes, from the Government  The Government must act immediately to address the range of issues identified in the Ombudsman for Children’s 2022 report, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore. Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s spokesperson on children, said: “Today’s report, based on over 1,800 complaints received last year, […]

Figures show that almost 60 per cent of family military accommodation is unoccupied  Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon has called on the Government to reconsider its policy of not providing military family accommodation to members of the Defence Forces. Deputy Gannon, who is the party’s spokesperson on Defence, said: “I was prompted to raise this […]

Oral health has been completely neglected by the Minister since he took office The Government is continuing to sleepwalk through a crisis in dental healthcare, according to Social Democrats health spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “Oral health has been completely neglected by the Minister for Health since he took office. At a time when the Minister should […]

Our senior citizens should not have to worry about being evicted or forced to find new homes to rent The Government must urgently act on the findings of a report which highlights how the rental crisis is impacting older people, according to Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan. Deputy O’Callaghan, who is the party’s spokesperson on […]

Even though Quinn Insurance is now legally defunct, its toxic legacy persists It is unacceptable that details of the €100 million cost of the administration of Quinn Insurance have not been published, according to Social Democrats Finance Spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “The collapse of Quinn Insurance cost the State in excess of €1 billion at a […]

Government must demand scrutiny of supermarkets’ accounts at this week’s Retail Forum meeting The Government must force the major supermarket chains to come clean about the profits they are making off the backs of struggling consumers, according to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns. “Tomorrow’s meeting of the Retail Forum needs to be much more than […]

Putting games behind a paywall is a slap in the face for GAA’s dedicated volunteers and supporters There must be full transparency behind the process for selecting GAA games for pay-per-view, according to Social Democrats sports spokesperson Gary Gannon. “There is growing disquiet over high-profile games – such as last weekend’s Munster Senior Hurling Championship […]

Lack of funding has thrown pay deal into disarray  Serious questions must be asked about why the HSE has reneged on a deal to increase payments to home care providers and protect service provision, according to Social Democrats Health Spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “The HSE is currently attempting to redesign work patterns across the health service […]

Survey highlights long waiting lists and raises questions about standard of mental health services for children and adolescents Today’s report from the Ombudsman for Children paints a worrying picture of mental health services for children and teenagers in Ireland, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore. Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s spokesperson on Children, […]

Lack of Government action on transport schemes is making everyday life harder for disabled people in Ireland Disabled people are being excluded from everyday life in Ireland because of the lack of suitable transport, according to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns. Deputy Cairns, who is the party’s spokesperson on Disability, said: “For people with a […]

More than 9,000 evictions expected in the coming months, with virtually no homes available to rent  Record homeless figures for March represent another grim milestone for this Government, according to Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan. Deputy O’Callaghan, who is the party’s Housing spokesperson, said: “The latest figures show there are now 11,988 people living in […]

Report of the Joint Committee on International Surrogacy to be debated in the Dáil today  The Government must expedite legislation to end the legal limbo faced by couples and individuals who enter into international surrogacy, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore. Deputy Whitmore, who chaired the Joint Committee on International Surrogacy, will introduce the […]