News

Speaking on foot of the publication on the Progress Report of the Scally Inquiry, co-leader of the Social Democrats, Róisín Shortall TD has expressed her disappointment with the slow progress of the report and the delays experienced by many of the women affected by the scandal when seeking their medical records. “The most significant finding […]

A Social Democrats’ private members bill to increase to six months the amount of unpaid parental leave available to working parents goes to final stage in the Dáil tomorrow, Wednesday 13th June. The Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017 aims to help working families enjoy better work-life balance by permitting parents to spend more time caring […]

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD has called on the government to dismantle the discriminatory system of direct provision, saying today’s constitutional ruling should be the final nail in its coffin. Deputy Shortall said: “Today’s Court of Appeal ruling recognises that a child with Irish citizenship living in direct provision is entitled to child benefit […]

Despite the growing issue of youth crime, figures released to Róisín Shortall TD have revealed that powers granted to the gardaí to tackle the problem are not being used. Since their introduction in 2008 the number of Behaviour Warnings issued by the Gardaí has fallen by 85%. Deputy Shortall explained: “When a child or young […]

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD has said the Minister for Health needs to show political courage and urgency in implementing the Sláintecare health reform plan which was published a year ago today [30th May 2018]. Deputy Shortall chaired the cross-party Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Healthcare which produced the fully-costed ten-year Sláintecare blueprint for […]

Co-leader of the Social Democrats Róisín Shortall TD has called for the full rigors of the law to be applied to anyone who knowingly engaged in the falsification of adoption records. Responding to the shocking revelations today about false adoption records by the former St Patrick’s Guild Adoption Society, Deputy Shortall said: “The cost of […]

Social Democrats will today bring to the Dáil a proposal to take religion out of the school day. The party is tabling an amendment to the government’s Education (School Admissions) Bill 2016 to remove faith formation from the school timetable. Co-leader Róisín Shortall TD said: “We need to take religion out of the school day […]

The Social Democrats welcome today’s extraordinary and historic Yes vote for repeal of the Eighth Amendment as a mark of compassion and respect for women and women’s healthcare. Speaking as tally results show a landslide Yes vote, the party’s co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said: “We see today how the innate sense of decency of Irish […]

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD today accused the government of failing to get to grips with ticket touting when she raised the issue in the Dáil this morning. Deputy Shortall said: “This year’s summer concert season is already in full swing and the public are being ripped off on a daily basis by unscrupulous ticket touts […]

The Social Democrats have welcomed the passage today at committee stage of our Bill to increase to six months the amount of unpaid parental leave available to working parents of children aged up to 12. The Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017 aims to help working families enjoy better work-life balance by permitting parents to spend […]

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD has said she is deeply concerned that two weeks after their cases were identified, no action has yet been taken in relation to the 1,631 women who developed cervical cancers and were not included in the CervicalCheck audit. Deputy Shortall said: “I have been raising the position of the […]

A Social Democrats’ private members’ bill to enable working parents to spend more time caring for their children goes to committee stage tomorrow, Wednesday 16th May. The Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017 allows parents to take a total of six months (26 weeks) unpaid leave from their jobs without their employment rights being affected. This […]

The Social Democrats have strongly condemned today’s violence in Gaza in which dozens of Palestinians have been killed and hundreds injured by Israeli troops on the day the US opens its embassy in Jerusalem. The party’s co-leader Róisín Shortall TD said: “The decision by President Trump to move the US embassy to Jerusalem is utterly […]

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD has said that serious questions remain following today’s cabinet meeting on the Cervical Check crisis and that the public should not have to wait until the outcome of a formal investigation to get answers. Deputy Shortall also called on the government to expedite legislation to allow for a statutory […]