News

New figures released by the Simon Communities of Ireland reveal the true scale of the rental crisis faced by those reliant on the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), according to Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan. Deputy O’Callaghan, who is the party’s spokesperson on housing, said: “In its ‘Locked Out of the Market’ report for September, the […]

The Government must commit to implementing in full the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drug Use, according to Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon. “I have long held the view that criminalising addiction is not the way forward. I therefore welcome the assembly members’ majority vote in favour of a comprehensive health-led response to personal […]

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has called on the Government and local authorities to offer every support available to households and businesses most affected by flood damage in the wake of Storm Babet. Deputy Cairns said: “The sheer scale of the clean-up operation after yesterday’s storm is staggering, with millions of euros worth of damage […]

Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore has called for all accommodation used under the State’s Direct Provision system to be inspected by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) following a damning report by the Ombudsman for Children. Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s spokesperson on children, said: “This is the first time that the Ombudsman’s […]

Data published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) provides further insights into the widening affordability gap faced by those seeking to buy a home of their own, according to Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan. Deputy O’Callaghan, who is the party’s spokesperson on housing, said: “An analysis of the data, which was published by the CSO […]

A Government proposal to increase penalty points for motorists on bank holiday weekends should not be a substitute for high visibility policing and enhanced enforcement of road traffic legislation, according to Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy. Deputy Murphy, who is the party’s spokesperson on justice, said: “In response to the worrying rise in road deaths […]

At tomorrow’s emergency summit of European leaders, the Taoiseach must condemn EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s decision to offer unqualified support to Israel’s ethnic cleansing in Gaza, according to Social Democrats foreign affairs spokesperson Gary Gannon. Deputy Gannon said: “On Friday, Ursula von der Leyen had a valuable opportunity to make a positive […]

Social Democrats health spokesperson Róisín Shortall has called on the Minister for Public Expenditure, Paschal Donohoe, to take questions in the Dáil this week and explain why there is a €2 billion hole in the health service budget for 2024. “Minister Donohoe must come into the Dáil this week and explain why this Government continues […]

The Government’s failure to avert tomorrow’s strike action by Section 39 workers will heap further pressure on threadbare services for the elderly and people with disabilities, according to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns. Deputy Cairns, who is the party’s spokesperson on disability, said: “There was an expectation that last week’s Budget would allocate funding to […]

The HSE’s latest recruitment freeze is a short-sighted decision that will directly impact patient care, according to Social Democrats Health Spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “By OECD standards, Ireland ranks only about halfway in terms of health funding. In this week’s Budget, the Government were throwing around money like it was going out of fashion. At the […]