News

Social Democrats spokesperson on Building Standards Councillor Cian O’Callaghan said: “The news that the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board has lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanála seeking to be relieved of fire safety requirements is very alarming. The Board is asking for permission to drop a water-sprinkler system as well as 60 minute fire resistance […]

The Social Democrats are hosting a public event in Dublin tomorrow [Saturday 21st October 2017] to discuss ways to make the city more democratic. The ‘Democratising Dublin’ open meeting will hear the party’s strong backing for the city to have its own directly elected Mayor. The session will also showcase a recent pilot project in […]

Róisín Shortall TD, the co-leader of the Social Democrats has called on the government to prioritise the introduction of anti-HIV drugs as new figures show the rates of HIV infection continue to rise at alarming levels. Deputy Shortall said: “According to figures from the HSE, there were 508 new cases of HIV in Ireland last […]

Fianna Fáil has been accused of rank hypocrisy on the issue of pension inequality by Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD over their refusal to back a vote that would have curtailed bumper pensions for Ministers and senior civil servants in order to restore pensions to people who lost out in changes introduced in 2012. […]

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD today urged the Government and Central Bank to call in the Gardaí to investigate the conduct of bankers in the overcharging of tracker mortgages. Speaking today, Deputy Murphy said: “This seems to me nothing short of thievery. In any other such circumstances you would expect the Gardaí to be […]

Following the recent announcement by the government that it intends to hold a plebiscite on Directly Elected Mayors for cities, Social Democrats Councillor Cian O’Callaghan said: “I’m a strong supporter of a Directly Elected Mayor for Dublin – I was the only councillor in Fingal County Council to speak in favour of this proposal when […]

The Government has been accused of double standards by Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD over its refusal to reverse the unfair 2012 cuts affecting state pensions for women. Speaking ahead of a Dáil debate tonight, Deputy Shortall said: “The changes to state pension introduced in 2012 have resulted in an estimated 36,000 people, mainly […]

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy has today urged Government to accept an amendment tabled by her to the Water Bill 2017. The amendment seeks to make Irish Water answerable to the Comptroller and Auditor General regarding its finances. Deputy Murphy has received a reply to a parliamentary question which indicates that a subvention of €753 […]

Social Democrats joint leader Róisín Shortall TD has welcomed the announcement that Mr Donal de Buitléir will chair an expert group to examine the impact of separating private practice from the public hospital system, as recommended in the Sláintecare health reform plan. Deputy Shortall, who chaired the cross-party Oireachtas committee which produced the Sláintecare report, […]

Any group set up to examine the impact of separating private practice from the public hospital system must be fully independent and free from conflicts of interest, Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD cautioned today. Deputy Shortall was speaking as the Cabinet meets in Cork to discuss the Sláintecare blueprint for a reformed public health […]