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The Rural Future plan announced today must be followed up with immediate Government action to help stem the further decline of communities throughout Ireland, according to Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns. Holly, who represents Cork South-West, said: “The plan announced today, while ambitious in terms of scale, will ultimately be judged on how quickly it […]

Commenting on the Government’s Rural Future plan today, Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore called for the provision of drop-in childcare facilities at the working hubs proposed under the initiative. Deputy Whitmore said: “Working hubs with high-speed broadband form a central plank of the Government’s plan to re-energise rural communities and make it viable for people to work […]

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD has spoken out strongly against the news today that the Beacon Hospital gave 20 surplus vaccines to teachers in a nearby private school. She said: “What happened this week at the Beacon is completely unacceptable. The hospital ignored the sequencing protocol in favour of passing on the surplus vaccines […]

Commenting on figures released today by the Department of Housing, Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan has called for immediate action to reduce the numbers of people becoming homeless. Deputy O’Callaghan, who is the party’s Housing spokesperson, said: “The figures released today by the Department of Housing show that at the end of February there were […]

Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore believes that Ireland should follow New Zealand’s example by providing paid leave for women who suffer miscarriages. Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s spokesperson for Children, was speaking during the Family Leave Bill in the Dáil today where she acknowledged New Zealand’s introduction of a bereavement payment to women who […]

Responding to the RTÉ Investigates report that revealed the Department of Health had gathered sensitive and confidential information about families taking cases against it, Róisín Shortall TD, co-leader of the Social Democrats, has called for the Secretary General and the Health Minister to appear before the Health Committee and Dáil respectively to answer questions. Deputy Shortall commented: […]

– Government needs to ramp up investment for paid parental leave and streamline legislation to make it family-friendly, says Jennifer Whitmore TD Speaking on the Family Leave Bill in the Dáil today, Social Democrats spokesperson for Children, Jennifer Whitmore, said: “While I welcome the extension of paid parental leave to five weeks, the Government needs […]

Speaking during Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil today, Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said: “Time and again we have seen that the market cannot be relied upon to deliver housing people can afford. “Long-term leasing effectively means that the State is paying a developer’s mortgage on a property by entering into a 20-25-year arrangement, […]

Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore has welcomed the publication of the revised Climate Action Bill but says further safeguards are required in the legislation to ensure the 51% carbon emissions reduction target cannot be watered down. Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s spokesperson for Climate Action and Biodiversity, said: “While I welcome the inclusion of […]

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD has welcomed the result of the EMA rapid review of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which has shown it to be safe and effective. She commented: “It is a welcome reassurance that the EMA has come to a clear and definitive conclusion that the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and effective. “It […]