News

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 […]

Government must provide realistic alternatives to attending emergency departments The Government’s failure to adequately plan for a winter surge in hospital admissions has resulted in the current crisis in our emergency departments, according to Social Democrats co-leader and Health spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “We have known for some months that there would be an upsurge in […]

Parents and families should not have to wait any longer for the protections and security of legal certainty Confirmation that that Government intends to legislate for international surrogacy is hugely welcome, according to Social Democrats Children’s spokesperson Jennifer Whitmore. Deputy Whitmore, who chaired the Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy, said: “I am pleased that the […]

Women in rural areas deserve certainty about their maternity services The HSE’s suspension of its plans to cancel home births in Cork and Kerry is a good first step – but the misguided plans should be permanently abandoned, according to Social Democrats Cork South West TD Holly Cairns. “In August we learned that the HSE […]