Local Election Manifesto 2024

City and County Councils contribute to wellbeing in their communities in many ways, most visibly by designing, creating and sustaining the environments in which people live, work, do business, and socialise. The facilities and services they provide play critical roles in local wellbeing.

This June 7^th, the people of Ireland have a chance to set Councils’ priorities for the next five years and elect people to our local Councils who will stand up for their interests and put their communities first.

As Social Democrats, our single biggest priority is to improve the delivery of key public services which drive equality, promote sustainability, reduce costs for businesses and families, and raise living standards for all the community. In all our endeavours, we will commit to the principle of inclusivity, ensuring no one is left behind, and to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, fostering a sustainable future for all.

Social Democrats Councillors are committed to:

• Getting local councils back building again, and once more playing a pivotal role in building homes that are affordable to rent and buy.
• Ensuring that decent infrastructure, transport links, and public services in every plan for our communities is the overriding priority of planning policy.
• Building ‘15-minute’ cities and towns, pursuing planning policies that prioritise proximity and accessibility to work and essential services.
• The appointment of architects at local authority level whose role it is to improve the aesthetic appearance of the public realm.
• Increasing the prevalence of basic public services and amenities like public toilets, drinking fountains, benches, playgrounds, and community gardens.
• Prioritising play, sport and recreation opportunities for all ages and abilities, with Multi-Use Games Area pitches in every community, and maximising the funding of community facilities such as swimming pools and skate parks.
• Putting disabled people at the heart of all decisions that affect them.
• Driving strong long-term planning for greener, more sustainable communities, including by supporting increased investment in cycling and public transport, and by promoting biodiversity, and recycling.
• Promoting affordable and sustainable energy options, including the Sustainable Energy Community model, so that communities can own, generate, and profit from, their own renewable energy.
• Prioritising the rejuvenation of our town and village centres and main streets.

Find Out More

You can read more about our policies and plans in our Local Election 2024 Manifesto document, linked below.

Alternatively, you can read a text-only version of this manifesto here.

Easy Read documents are here: Key Priorities and Disability Policy.