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The Minister must provide assurances, grounded in something other than his cheery optimism, that targets can be achieved Environment Minister Eamon Ryan must clarify if the government will meet its climate action targets this year or not, according to Social Democrats Climate Spokesperson Jennifer Whitmore. “Yesterday, we had a further devastating report from the Intergovernmental […]

It is beyond infuriating that, as elected local representatives, we are trying to act in the public interest and are being frustrated at every turn The capacity of Dublin City Councillors to shape the Dublin City Development Plan has been completely undermined by a Ministerial power grab, according to Social Democrats Councillor Catherine Stocker. Cllr […]

The Minister’s own Sláintecare progress report revealed key areas of the strategy are nowhere near implementation The new Waiting List Action Plan will not work as it fails to address structural issues within the health service, according to Social Democrats Health Spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “The €350 million investment in tackling waiting lists, that was announced […]

At the European Council meeting today, the Taoiseach should propose that Russian ambassadors across the region are expelled en masse The Russian invasion of Ukraine is unprecedented, unprovoked and perverse, according to Social Democrats Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Gary Gannon. “What we are witnessing is unprecedented in Europe in our lifetimes –  a full-scale assault and […]

Childhood is short and the government has limited time to intervene The Children’s Rights Alliance Report Card for 2022 makes clear that the government is continuing to fail our most vulnerable children, according to Social Democrats Children’s Spokesperson Jennifer Whitmore. “The government has received an ‘E’ grade on child homelessness, due to persistent increases in […]

It is bizarre to suggest that the agency centrally responsible for the failure of care should investigate itself An independent review of HSE-run disability services in the northwest is urgently required, according to Social Democrats Health Spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “Further revelations about a lack of adherence to safeguarding procedures in HSE-run disability services in the […]

A cursory examination of the figures reveals the inequity at the core of this plan The government’s excuses for failing to target their cost-of-living measures at low and middle income earners do not stand up to scrutiny, according to Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall. “A cursory examination of the figures reveals the inequity at the […]

Tinkering around the edges will do little to help those struggling to survive in the long-term The government’s response to the cost-of-living crisis is not sufficiently targeted at those who need help the most, according to Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy. “The vast bulk of the funding announced today is for a blanket €200 electricity […]

The report has highlighted the extent of the crisis within our Defence Forces Improved pay and conditions for members of the Defence Forces are a critical component in bolstering our defence capabilities, according to Social Democrats Defence Spokesperson Gary Gannon. “I welcome the release of the report of the Commission of the Defence Forces, which […]

It is clear rent caps are nothing more than window dressing Rents across the country are out of control with rents in Dublin now 50pc more than the Celtic Tiger peak, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. “Last year, rents across the country increased by an average of more than 10pc. Meanwhile, 20 […]