News

Reports that the Minister for Health tried to exempt the National Maternity Hospital from spending rules for large capital projects are deeply alarming, according to Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall. “Concerns over the National Maternity Hospital are now mounting on two fronts: 1) the ownership and ethos of the new hospital, and 2) the Minister’s […]

Fundamental questions about patient confidentiality, consent, the HSE’s use of power as an employer and data protection remain to be answered by the Department of Health. The appearance of the General Secretary of the Department of Health, Robert Watt, at the Oireachtas Health Committee has raised more questions than answers, according to Social Democrats Health […]

The crucial thing is that we want businesses, when they open, to remain open. As the country prepares to reopen, the government must do everything in its power to ensure there is no return to lockdown, according to Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall. “Today is a positive day and there are many reasons to be […]

It is essential, in the interests of Irish women now and in the future, that the national maternity hospital is fully State owned and free of religious control and influence A new cross-party group has been established, by Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall, to advocate for full public ownership of the new national maternity hospital […]

Slashing building standards and undermining the planning process has not fixed the housing market. All it has achieved is greater dysfunction. Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall today introduced a Private Members Bill to the Dáil to overhaul planning laws which have become a developers’ charter under successive Ministers. “Planning laws have become a developer’s charter […]

The SHD process has been a success at only one thing – boosting the value of developers’ sites, not housing stock Planning laws have become a developers’ charter thanks to the intervention of successive Ministers, according to Social Democrats co-leader Róisin Shortall, who has published legislation to restore quality and democracy to the planning process. […]

The current state of Irish banking is a consumer nightmare Competition in the Irish banking market will soon be almost non-existent, according to Social Democrats co-leader, and Finance Spokesperson, Róisín Shortall. “KBC has today confirmed its intention to quit the Irish market. This news will be a source of great alarm to both its staff […]

Our economic recovery must not be a two-tier recovery, in which those most impacted by the pandemic are left behind.  Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall has said the finding of the Stability Programme Update – that Ireland’s economic recovery is contingent on the successful rollout of the vaccination programme – is a reminder that vaccines […]

The Irish people deserve competence and efficiency from their government at a time of national crisis. Instead, they have chaos and confusion. The government’s mandatory quarantine system has descended into chaos less than three weeks after it was set up, according to Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall. “Last night, the government’s mandatory quarantine system had […]

Commenting on NIAC’s expected recommendation to restrict the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the over-60s, Róisín Shortall TD, co-leader of the Social Democrats, said: “NIAC’s advice must be taken on board in the interest of public health. To ensure confidence in the vaccination programme, it is vital that safety concerns are addressed as they […]