News

Mental Health Mental healthcare in Ireland is a piecemeal system that allows many to fall through the cracks. Primary and community care is disorganised and varies greatly across the country, and emergency care is not fit for purpose. Mental health services have long suffered from chronic underinvestment. The Social Democrats aim to create a mental healthcare […]

Workers’ Rights Strengthening workers’ rights is fundamental to social democratic politics. The Social Democrats are focused on empowering workers through supporting the growth of trade unions and improving workers’ rights legislation. In recent decades the world of work has been transformed. All too often these changes have had a negative impact on workers in Ireland. Union […]

Defence & Security Since the foundation of the modern Irish State in 1922, the Irish Defence Forces worked to secure our national territory, and conducted mandated peacekeeping missions abroad; a contribution of which we are rightly proud as a nation. Today, the defence and security challenges facing Ireland are becoming more complex and diverse, and […]

Empowering Youth As part of the next government, the Social Democrats will have a focus on delivering better outcomes and brighter futures for young people in Ireland. Our policies will increase funding for services for young people in areas like youth work, education, mental health, sport and recreation, and transport, and also take measures to […]

Positive Neutrality Since the foundation of the state Ireland has always engaged in a positive and committed manner in global affairs while remaining proudly militarily neutral. This neutrality is a platform on which our relatively unique position in the world has been built and is a source of strength and legitimacy.  It has helped us […]

General Election Manifesto 2024 Elections are about the future; the kind of country we want to live in, and the kind of society we want our children to grow up in. The Social Democrats want a future where every person can thrive, and every community can flourish. That future starts with getting the basics right: […]

Education The education of our children is the bedrock of our country’s future; economically, socially and culturally. All the research suggests that well-targeted investment in education is paid back many times over, with children and young people with high quality educational experiences having better life outcomes and employment prospects. Ireland has a strong track record […]

Strengthening Renters’ Rights Ireland is in the unique position of simultaneously having some of the highest rents in Europe but some of the worst protections for renters. The Social Democrats will take immediate action to both bring down the cost of rents and provide security for renters. You can read more about our plans by […]

Domestic, Sexual & Gender-Based Violence Domestic, Sexual, and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV) is a serious problem in Ireland. One in four women in this country are affected by domestic violence in their lifetime, while half of all women report experiencing sexual violence at some point. Increased public awareness in recent years and the publication of the […]

A Plan for Dublin City Dublin has not been a priority for the current government. Under their watch, Dublin city is decaying, and it has been in decline for years. From increased anti-social behaviour and filthy streets to chronic vacancy and dereliction, our capital city has been neglected. A range of urgent measures to tackle […]