News

HSE has failed to reduce unacceptably long waiting lists The sharp rise in the numbers of children awaiting an assessment of need has been described as utterly unacceptable by Social Democrats health spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “The latest figures provided to me by the HSE are truly shocking. In the first quarter of this year, 4,206 […]

Oral health has been completely neglected by the Minister since he took office The Government is continuing to sleepwalk through a crisis in dental healthcare, according to Social Democrats health spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “Oral health has been completely neglected by the Minister for Health since he took office. At a time when the Minister should […]

Even though Quinn Insurance is now legally defunct, its toxic legacy persists It is unacceptable that details of the €100 million cost of the administration of Quinn Insurance have not been published, according to Social Democrats Finance Spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “The collapse of Quinn Insurance cost the State in excess of €1 billion at a […]

Lack of funding has thrown pay deal into disarray  Serious questions must be asked about why the HSE has reneged on a deal to increase payments to home care providers and protect service provision, according to Social Democrats Health Spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “The HSE is currently attempting to redesign work patterns across the health service […]

The Tánaiste should tell us whose version of events he believes – Mr Watt’s or his officials The Tánaiste must address the clear contradictions in the accounts of the secretary general of the Department Of Health, Robert Watt, and his senior officials on the circumstances surrounding the botched secondment of Dr Tony Holohan to Trinity […]

It is unacceptable that we are learning about these major deficiencies in our abortion service via leaks to the media Health Minister Stephen Donnelly must immediately publish a review into abortion services which has found it could “collapse” at any moment, according to Social Democrats Health Spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “A leaked copy of a review […]

Health Committee backs Deputy Shortall’s proposal to follow WHO policy in respect of the availability of contraception The Minister for Health should mark International Women’s Day by allowing pharmacists to dispense prescription-free oral contraceptives, according to Social Democrats TD Róisín Shortall. “At today’s Oireachtas Health Committee, representatives of the Irish Pharmacy Union made a compelling […]

Róisín Shortall and Catherine Murphy have issued a joint statement following yesterday’s announcement that they are to step aside as co-leaders of the Social Democrats. The party’s National Executive will meet this evening (Thursday, February 23) to make arrangements for the election of a new leader. Both Catherine and Róisín fully intend to remain active […]

It is time that the Government stopped wringing their hands about dysfunction within the health service and actually did something about it A damning report by the Mental Health Commission has revealed that the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) is failing children across the country, according to Social Democrats Health spokesperson Róisín Shortall. […]

It would be bizarre and grotesque for reform to be further delayed because the Minister overseeing SIPO was the subject of an investigation Long overdue reform of our ethics legislation must not be further delayed by the controversy that has engulfed Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe, according to Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall. “Minister […]