News

State has failed to provide legal protection for 217 out of 423 sites identified as requiring formal designation as Special Areas of Conservation  The Government’s green credentials lie in tatters after Ireland was found guilty by the European Court of Justice of multiple breaches of laws to protect nature, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer […]

Housing Minister is presiding over a dysfunctional rent control system and an under-resourced Residential Tenancies Board The latest report from the Residential Tenancies Board is further evidence that rents in Ireland are out of control, according to Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan. Deputy O’Callaghan, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, said: “By the end of […]

Dereliction, heavily littered streets and poor lighting are making our capital city feel unsafe Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon has called for a multi-agency response to unacceptable levels of violent assaults in Dublin city centre. Deputy Gannon, who represents Dublin Central, said: “Last weekend’s unprovoked attack on Ukrainian actor Oleksandr Hrekov on Eden Quay is […]

Government parties must present a united front before law is discussed at plenary session of European Parliament next month The Government must be unequivocal in its support for Nature Restoration Law following today’s rejection of the proposed legislation by the European Parliament’s Environment Committee, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore. Deputy Whitmore, who is […]

How the Data Protection Commission goes about its tasks is already opaque Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy has criticised a Government amendment to a Justice Bill that would create confidential processes for data protection investigations. “I share the concerns expressed today by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) in relation to the amendment proposed […]

The worst thing, for RTÉ and its staff, would be for a drip-feed of information to characterise the inquiry into this debacle Dee Forbes’ resignation statement raises further serious questions, and it is important she attends the Public Accounts Committee on Thursday to answer them, according to Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy. Deputy Murphy, who […]

Today’s bombshell revelations involve a serious breach of trust Senior RTÉ management must appear before the Public Accounts Committee before the summer recess to explain its secret payments to Ryan Tubridy, according to Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy. Deputy Murphy, who is vice-chair of the PAC, has written to the PAC to request the appearance […]

A 2020 Children’s Ombudsman report found more than 120 children housed in hostels with no care staff after 5pm A report detailing the sexual exploitation of young girls in State care is shocking but not surprising, according to Social Democrats Children Spokesperson Jennifer Whitmore. Deputy Whitmore was speaking following the release of a new study, […]

Government must now fast-track safeguarding legislation for vulnerable adults  The catastrophic failure to investigate sexual assault complaints in a HSE nursing home must mark a turning point in how the State safeguards vulnerable adults, according to Social Democrats health spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “The report by the National Independent Review Panel (NIRP), which was set up […]

Findings show that majority of tenants are renting through necessity, not choice The latest Tenant Sentiment report from Threshold highlights the harsh realities of renting in Ireland today, according to Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan. Deputy O’Callaghan, who is the party’s spokesperson on housing, said: “The findings of today’s Threshold report are predictably grim. While […]