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Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD has described Budget 2018 as a Budget of squandered opportunities in so many ways but in particular on addressing the housing emergency. She said there are lots of carrots but very few sticks, for example the Vacant Land Levy announced is still less than land price inflation. Deputy Murphy […]

Anne-Marie McNally, the Social Democrats candidate for Dublin Mid-West, has called on the Government to avail of EU review procedures to change our VAT rates on certain products. Ms McNally highlighted some inexplicable discrepancies in the VAT rate attached to similar products such as adult crash helmets and children’s crash helmets. Children’s helmets are charged […]

Catherine Murphy TD, Social Democrats Co-Leader, has drawn attention to a PQ reply which details funding provided to homeless services on a regional basis which, she says, gives further meaning to some of the harrowing stories emanating from areas outside the Dublin region such as the ones highlighted on Morning Ireland yesterday. The reply received […]

Parents are given more choices when it comes to childcare under budget proposals put forward today by the Social Democrats, the party’s spokesperson on Children, Cllr Jennifer Whitmore, has said. The party’s Alternative Budget 2018 includes a new Early Years Payment as well as a new 13-week long paid parental leave entitlement. Speaking today as […]

The joint leaders of the Social Democrats tonight paid tribute to the former Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael, Liam Cosgrave. “We are saddened to learn of the death of Liam Cosgrave. We extend our sympathy to his family, as well as his Fine Gael colleagues and friends,” said Róisín Shortall TD and Catherine Murphy […]

Commenting on recent events in Catalonia, Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD today condemned police violence and urged all sides to reach a political solution to the constitutional crisis. Deputy Shortall said: “The weekend’s scenes of police violence and the forced closure of polling stations in Catalonia were shocking to witness. It is vital that […]

The government’s inability to accurately count the number of new houses built each year is masking the true scale of the housing shortage, the Social Democrats said today. The party’s co-leader Catherine Murphy TD was commenting on a Goodbody BER housebuilding tracker published today, which shows that 5,377 houses were completed in 2016. This compares […]

The criteria used to allocate Garda resources must be transparent – not narrowly set to achieve a predetermined outcome, as is evident from today’s Garda report on the reopening of Stepaside station, the Social Democrats said today. Party co-leader Catherine Murphy TD, a member of the PAC, said: “The Garda report published today shows that […]

Today’s Comptroller and Auditor General’s report highlights the government’s lack of ambition and long-term planning when it comes to managing our economy, the Social Democrats said today. The party’s co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said the government’s reliance on a small number of large corporations for its corporate tax base was ample evidence that mistakes of […]

Government spin cannot mask the stark reality of its failure to get to grips with the homeless crisis, Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said today – as new figures show the number of homeless families and adults continues to rise. Deputy Murphy was commenting on Department of Housing figures which show that a total […]