News

Holly Cairns TD and Cork County Councillor Ross O’Connell have written to MEPs on the Fisheries Committee to allow CCTV on supertrawlers to provide greater monitoring of their activities. Voting on the revised Fisheries Regulation will allow for this additional transparency measure to help protect sea life and Irish fishing communities. Uplift has led a […]

Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson and T.D. for Dublin Bay North, Cian O’Callaghan welcomes the new report on home repossessions by Dr Padraic Kenna Director of the NUIG Centre for Housing Law, Rights and Policy and calls on the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to facilitate the implement its recommendations. The report highlights the […]

Free Flu Vaccine for children welcome but national vaccination database also required – Whitmore Social Democrats TD and Spokesperson for Children, Jennifer Whitmore, has welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Health that the Flu Vaccine will be available to all children free of charge. This is something the Social Democrats have previously called for […]

Ireland is facing a huge demand for personal protective equipment over the next year as a result of Covid-19, with an estimated cost of €1 billion to be allocated for PPE. Given the huge cost this poses, Róisín Shortall, TD and co-leader of the Social Democrats, has called on the Minister for Health to establish […]

Social Democrats Spokesperson for Children Jennifer Whitmore has called on the government to urgently develop workable plans for the provision of childcare for frontline healthcare workers. The call comes following the recent announcement from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs that their proposed outreach scheme is unworkable. Deputy Whitmore has written to the Oireachtas […]

Holly Cairns TD, Social Democrats spokesperson for Rural and Community Development, welcomes the Department of Rural and Community Development’s COVID-19 Stability Fund for community and voluntary organisations, charities, and social enterprises. She encourages organisations to apply for the support immediately as there is a very tight turnaround. Holly explains: “Community and voluntary organisations have been […]

Following a process of engagement regarding the Framework Document proposed by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, the Social Democrats have earlier today written to the leaders of those parties confirming that they will not be proceeding any further with negotiations for a Programme for Government. The Social Democrats made clear in the letter that they […]

Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon has said the continued exclusion from the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) of women returning to work after maternity leave is unacceptable, discriminatory and must be rectified as a matter of urgency.  Gary Gannon TD said, “The exclusion from the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) of women returning to work […]

Social Democrats TD and Spokesperson on Climate and Biodiversity, Jennifer Whitmore, has backed calls by Birdwatch Ireland and other environmental groups for the establishment of a Wildlife Crime Unit – something the Social Democrats themselves had proposed in their February 2020 General Election Manifesto. The call comes in the wake of the poisoning of 23 […]

Róisín Shortall, TD and co-leader of the Social Democrats, today raised serious concerns about Ireland’s readiness to begin reopening on the level proposed for May 18th under plans for Phase 1. Her concerns are based on three key areas which show little evidence to support the easing of restrictions to the extent envisaged: Test and trace […]