News

East Cork Independent councillor Liam Quaide has announced that he is to join the Social Democrats. Mr Quaide, who is a clinical psychologist, led a campaign in East Cork over the past two years against the closure of the Owenacurra Centre mental health service. Following seven Oireachtas Committee hearings and Mr Quaide’s meeting with HSE […]

The revelation that just 3,000 homes are being charged the Vacant Homes Tax shows that a significant amount of work is needed to ensure the measure is effective, according to Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan. Deputy O’Callaghan, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, said: “Ireland’s housing crisis continues to have a devastating impact on people’s […]

Justin Sinnott has been announced as the Social Democrats’ new councillor on South Dublin County Council. At a meeting of the council this week, Justin was co-opted to the seat vacated by Carly Bailey, who is stepping back from representative politics but will remain working with the Social Democrats. Speaking after the meeting, Justin said: […]

Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon has written to nearly 50 Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael parliamentary party members, who signed petitions to expel the Russian ambassador due to Russian human rights abuses, asking them to support his party’s motion to expel the Israeli ambassador on similar grounds. Deputy Gannon, who is the party’s spokesperson on […]

The Social Democrats will bring a motion before the Dáil next week (Wednesday, November 15) calling on the Government to withdraw diplomatic status from the Israeli Ambassador to Ireland and push for the imposition of EU-wide economic sanctions on Israel. Party leader Holly Cairns said: “The permissive and ambivalent reaction by the international community to […]

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has accused the Government of blatant hypocrisy after it emerged that €1.5 million has been spent on an advertising campaign promoting disability rights – all while the State continues to deny disabled people those very rights. Deputy Cairns, who is the party’s spokesperson on disability, said: “The disability awareness campaign, […]

The EU’s trade deal with Israel should be suspended until the Israeli government complies with international law, according to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns. “The ambivalent response of the international community to the litany of war crimes being carried out in Gaza is shameful. The UN Security Council is toothless; the UN General Assembly is […]

The Minister for Education has failed to treat the teacher recruitment crisis in our schools with the urgency it deserves, according to Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon. Deputy Gannon, who is the party’s education spokesperson, said: “A survey of over 1,000 primary and special schools conducted last month found there were more than 800 vacant […]

The Government is failing miserably to address the issue of generational poverty, according to Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon. Deputy Gannon, who is the party’s spokesperson on Social Protection, said: “An analysis of data included in the Pobal Deprivation Index reveals that the number of people living in areas classed as ‘very disadvantaged’ or ‘extremely […]

Uisce Éireann must accelerate efforts to end discharges of raw sewage into Ireland’s rivers and coastal waters, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore. Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s biodiversity spokesperson, said: “In its ‘Urban Waste Water Treatment 2022’ report, published today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) highlights the scale of the challenge facing […]