News

It is unacceptable that we are learning about these major deficiencies in our abortion service via leaks to the media Health Minister Stephen Donnelly must immediately publish a review into abortion services which has found it could “collapse” at any moment, according to Social Democrats Health Spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “A leaked copy of a review […]

Health Committee backs Deputy Shortall’s proposal to follow WHO policy in respect of the availability of contraception The Minister for Health should mark International Women’s Day by allowing pharmacists to dispense prescription-free oral contraceptives, according to Social Democrats TD Róisín Shortall. “At today’s Oireachtas Health Committee, representatives of the Irish Pharmacy Union made a compelling […]

Delay is especially reprehensible in light of the vulnerability of those children and adults requiring psychological services  The Minister for Health is continuing to drag his feet on the long overdue regulation of psychologists, according to Holly Cairns, leader of the Social Democrats. Deputy Cairns, who is a member of the Joint Committee on Children, […]

HSE report reveals 700 vacancies across 91 Children’s Disability Network Teams  Disability services for children continue to be severely impacted by the HSE’s failure to get to grips with the serious recruitment crisis within the sector, according to Holly Cairns, leader of the Social Democrats. Deputy Cairns, who is the party’s spokesperson on Disability, said: […]

This week, Holly Cairns was officially announced as Leader of the Social Democrats in front of a room packed with family, friends and members of the Party in The Tara Building, in Dublin city centre. In her opening address to members as Leader, she said: How on earth did I get here? That’s a question […]

Whitmore hosts special briefing on how current drugs reimbursement scheme is failing women instead of helping them Women suffering from hyperemesis during pregnancy must not be abandoned by our health service, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore. Deputy Whitmore hosted a special briefing in Leinster House this week to highlight how the current reimbursement […]

Highly vulnerable women are attending emergency departments to beg for Cariban prescriptions from consultants Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore has called on the Government to make Cariban – a medication used for treating hyperemesis during pregnancy – more accessible. “Cariban is used to help reduce symptoms of hyperemesis in pregnancy, which include severe vomiting, fatigue […]

It is time that the Government stopped wringing their hands about dysfunction within the health service and actually did something about it A damning report by the Mental Health Commission has revealed that the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) is failing children across the country, according to Social Democrats Health spokesperson Róisín Shortall. […]

Model of Care was supposed to deliver 16 specialist eating disorder teams – but just three are operating The slow delivery of specialist eating disorder teams across the country is potentially putting lives at risk, according to Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns. “Of the 16 community-based teams promised under the HSE’s National Model of Care […]

At any one time, around 600 patients are left in hospital because there isn’t appropriate home care supports or step-down facilities available  The Government must urgently address the lack of home care services, according to Social Democrats co-leader and Health spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “While it’s welcome that the HSE and the Minister for Health are […]