News

The government has resorted to cynically re-announcing a pre-existing corruption bill in a bid to make itself look busy, Róisín Shortall TD said today. The co-leader of the Social Democrats was commenting on the announcement by the Minister for Justice that the Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Bill 2017 was discussed at cabinet yesterday. “This Bill […]

The mixing of private incentive and public interest at the heart of our health system creates an ungovernable twilight zone, Róisín Shortall TD will tell the MacGill Summer School tonight. Deputy Shortall chaired the cross-party Committee on the Future of Healthcare which recently produced a 10-year blueprint for reform of the health service, called Sláintecare […]

Today’s Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill is more noteworthy for its omissions rather than its provisions, according to Róisín Shortall TD. Deputy Shortall said: “T.D.s were given the clear understanding in early drafts of the Bill in May that it would deal with some of the enormous insecurity affecting defined benefit schemes. As […]

The fact that investors are currently paying the Irish State to lend it money highlights just how ridiculous our economic management has become, Social Democrats TD Róisín Shortall said today. The party’s co-leader was commenting on reports that Ireland raised €750m on the bond markets this morning, selling five-year bonds at a negative interest rate […]

The Social Democrats will this week introduce draft legislation to remove the obsolete offence of blasphemy from the Constitution and the Statue Book. The party will on Wednesday bring forward two separate Private Members’ Bills to ensure that Ireland’s legal framework enshrines full respect for freedom of speech. The country’s outdated blasphemy laws recently sparked […]