News

The Social Democrats have welcomed the encouraging results of a referendum exit poll tonight showing a strong voter turnout in favour of repealing of the Eighth Amendment. Commenting on the exit poll from The Irish Times, the party’s co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said: “The exit poll results are strongly indicating that voters have taken on […]

The Social Democrats today urged people to vote Yes in Friday’s referendum on the Eighth Amendment to ensure that women can access the healthcare they need in Ireland. The party’s co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said: “With just a few days to go to polling, we are urging people to use this once in a generation […]

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD has today called on the government to bring in nationwide rent caps as figures from Daft.ie show that rents across the country have once more reached an all-time high. Today’s Daft.ie report states that the average monthly rent nationwide during the first quarter of 2018 was €1,261, with average […]

Social Democrats Co-Leader Catherine Murphy has reiterated both her party’s, and the NUJ’s, calls for the establishment of a Commission on the Future of Media in Ireland on what is World Press Freedom Day 2018. Deputy Murphy said the time had never been more apt for Ireland to address the many significant problems it faces […]

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD today called on the government to get to grips with the chronic shortage of affordable homes and ensure that state land is used to provide both social and affordable housing. Deputy Murphy made her comments as RTÉ reported that a government scheme to incentivise the construction of affordable homes […]

The Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy is seriously failing homeless families, Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD has said. Deputy Murphy was speaking after the release today of Department of Housing figures which show that the number of families living in emergency accommodation increased by 222 from January to February of this year. The figures […]

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said renters are being priced out of Dublin into commuter counties – but without proper infrastructure supports being put in place. Deputy Murphy was commenting on today’s figures from the Residential Tenancies Board which show that in the four counties of Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow, the average rent […]

The Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD has described as ‘jaw-dropping’ reports today about the Taoiseach’s lead role in a planned major public relations campaign around Garda crime statistics. The Kildare North TD was reacting to a report on RTÉ’s This Week programme that the Taoiseach last year suggested a PR campaign in relation to […]

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD has said the decision by Ireland’s largest waste company Panda to introduce charges for recycling is a significant retrograde step which will have far reaching consequences for Ireland’s overall environmental policy. Deputy Murphy said it was likely that other waste providers would follow Panda in charging for recycling waste […]

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD has said the government needs to wake up to the disturbing findings of a new poll that shows more than two thirds of people consider the problem of corruption to be widespread in Ireland. Deputy Murphy was commenting on the latest Eurobarometer public opinion survey by the European Commission […]

The Social Democrats have called on the Taoiseach to publish instructions given by officials to agencies which placed Ireland 2040 advertisements in local and regional newspapers which look like news coverage. The party’s co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said: “The Taoiseach needs to publish exactly what instructions were given by the Strategic Communications Unit to Mediaforce […]

The Social Democrats will today make a formal complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority to raise concerns that government advertorials about Ireland 2040 have breached the principles of the advertising code which calls for ads to be ‘legal, decent, honest and truthful’. The party co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said: “In an era when there is […]

The Social Democrats are pleased to announce that Cork County Councillor June Murphy has joined the party. Ms Murphy (43) is a native of Mitchelstown. She was first elected in 2014 to Cork County Council representing the people of the Fermoy Municipal District. Announcing the move, the party’s co-leaders Róisín Shortall TD and Catherine Murphy […]

The Social Democrats have called on the Minister for Finance to intervene to block the sale of Permanent TSB mortgages to unregulated vulture funds. The party’s co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said: “This bank is 75 per cent owned by the State and the Minister for Finance must do what he can to protect homeowners by halting the […]