News

Róisín Shortall, the co-leader of the Social Democrats, has called for Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan, to explain his role in the Maurice McCabe email affair. Speaking today after Leaders’ Questions, Deputy Shortall said; “There is an understandable focus on the Tánaiste’s role in all this. However, it is becoming clearer and clearer that the […]

Róisín Shortall TD, co-leader of the Social Democrats, called the revelations in tonight’s Prime Time Investigates programme a ‘national scandal’. The programme revealed in the starkest terms how public patients waiting to see consultants in State-funded hospitals face unnecessary delays, pain and suffering. Ms Shortall said: “As alarming as the programme’s findings are they will […]

Róisín Shortall TD, the Social Democrats Co-Leader, has called for Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to urgently correct the Dáil Record in light of this evening’s revelations regarding Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald’s knowledge of the legal strategy on the Garda McCabe case at the O’Higgins Commission. Róisín Shortall said: “The revelations this evening are deeply disturbing and it […]

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD has strongly questioned the government’s commitment to fully implement Sláintecare, the fully costed ten-year health reform plan put forward by a cross-party Oireachtas committee. Speaking following a Dáil debate on the Sláintecare plan today, Deputy Shortall said she and other members of the Oireachtas committee which produced the Sláintecare […]

The Taoiseach’s forcible defence of his comments that ‘things are not that bad’ while more than 3,000 children face into a Christmas in emergency accommodation means we are no longer dealing with reality but with propaganda, Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said tonight. Speaking during a Dáil debate on a private members’ bill, Deputy […]

The latest house price and rent increases show the urgent need for the Government to bring in an affordable housing scheme for first time buyers and to cap rents nationwide, Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said today. Deputy Murphy made her comments as two separate reports from the ESRI and daft.ie show that the […]

Catherine Murphy, Co-Leader of the Social Democrats has said that recent parliamentary replies to her and many contacts from the public has confirmed that there are significant capacity issues across our entire public transport system. Deputy Murphy said that while the replies received by her detail investment in the heavy rail network, it is clear […]

The playing down of our homelessness crisis by the Taoiseach and the chair of the Housing Agency is an insult to every adult and child living in emergency accommodation today, Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD has said. Deputy Murphy said: “Recent remarks by the Taoiseach and the chair of the Housing Agency seek to […]

Catherine Murphy TD has said the recent decision by Minister Damien English to overrule local councillors in respect of the Celbridge Plan will be met by huge anger locally. The Ministerial direction effectively rezones part of Donaghcumper Demesne for a town centre extension,  it includes 150 residential units linked by a pedestrian bridge.  The proposal […]

Responding to this morning’s reports of significant delays uncovered by a National Treatment Purchase Fund audit of hospital waiting lists, co-leader of the Social Democrats Róisín Shortall has said: “It is bad enough that there are now 685,000 people on public waiting lists for hospital services but the news this morning that these lists cannot […]