News

Greyhound racing must be defunded and ultimately banned during the lifetime of this government, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore. Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s spokesperson on agriculture, said: “For years, the Social Democrats have been calling for the phasing out of annual State funding to the greyhound industry, which was allocated almost […]

This Orwellian rubbish is beneath contempt The government is attempting to rewrite Dáil rules for the benefit of Lowry Independents, according to Social Democrats acting leader Cian O’Callaghan. Deputy O’Callaghan said: “The submission by the government, on Dáil reform, is outrageous. They want to afford Lowry Independents, who are government backbench TDs, speaking slots on […]

Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney has called on the Government to urgently outline what specific changes are being proposed to the Triple Lock arrangement as part of the upcoming Defence Bill. Deputy Gibney, who is the party’s spokesperson on defence, said: “The Triple Lock is an integral part of Ireland’s longstanding tradition of neutrality. It […]

Will the government allow people be charged exorbitant rents to live in glorified sheds? This government’s answer to the housing crisis is to move generation stuck at home from their parents’ box room to a shed in the back garden, according to Social Democrats Housing spokesperson Rory Hearne. “It is reported today that the government […]

Ireland should follow the Welsh government’s lead by moving to ban greyhound racing, according to Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly. Deputy Farrelly, who is the party’s spokesperson on sport, said: “Ireland is one of only seven countries in the world where commercial greyhound racing is still legal. “Inexplicably, this so-called sport continues to receive millions […]

The National Children’s Hospital debacle looks set to continue well into the term of the new government, with no certainty over how much it will eventually cost or when it will open to young patients, according to Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice. Deputy Rice, who is the party’s spokesperson on health, said: “We learned today […]

The State cannot roll out the red carpet for new data centres powered by fossil fuels if we want to hit our legally binding carbon reduction targets, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore. Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s energy spokesperson, said: “The draft policy proposal just published by the Commission for Regulation of […]

The Social Democrats will bring a motion before the Dáil on Wednesday (February 19) calling on the Government to introduce a range of measures to address the housing and rental crises. The motion proposes the closure of loopholes that allow investment funds to aggressively avoid tax; a 100 per cent stamp duty rate on the […]

Social Democrats TD Jen Cummins has expressed deep concern at the Department of Education’s decision to transform Synge Street CBS into a co-educational Gaelcholáiste by September 2026. Deputy Cummins, who represents Dublin South-Central and is the party’s education spokesperson, said: “While the initiative to expand Irish-medium education is commendable, the manner in which this decision […]

The delivery of elective-only hospitals and proper workforce planning will be key to reducing waiting lists for patients, according to Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice. Deputy Rice, who is the party’s health spokesperson, made his comments in response to the Government’s Waiting List Action Plan 2025. He said: “While I welcome publication of the plan […]