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The Social Democrats have warmly welcomed the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment to repeal the Constitutional ban on abortion and legislate for termination without restriction up to 12 weeks. Party co-leader Catherine Murphy TD, who is a member of the committee, said: “The Committee’s recommendations are a very significant and […]

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD has called for a raft of targeted measures to help people who are increasingly forced to share rental accommodation because of rising costs and the lack of affordable homes to buy and rent. Deputy Murphy said: “Today’s report from Savills Ireland shows that a fifth of the population nationwide […]

The latest house price and rent increases show the urgent need for the Government to bring in an affordable housing scheme for first time buyers and to cap rents nationwide, Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said today. Deputy Murphy made her comments as two separate reports from the ESRI and daft.ie show that the […]

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy has said she intends to bring forward legislation which would give the Comptroller and Auditor General scrutiny and audit powers over Irish Water. Deputy Murphy had tabled an amendment to the Water Services Bill which is going through the Dáil this week but last night both Fine Gael and Fianna […]

The revelations in the leaked ‘Paradise Papers’ that AIB’s offshore arm continued to facilitate tax avoidance after it was bailed out by the public highlight the extent of the moral bankruptcy at the heart of the Irish banking system, Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD has said. Deputy Murphy said: “It is galling in the […]

Serious questions remain in relation to the financial management of banks in light of the tracker mortgage scandal, Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said today. Deputy Murphy said: “It is important to look at the tracker mortgage issue from a financial management point of view. AIB would have launched its IPO in June this […]

Rents in Dublin are so shockingly high that many working people are denying themselves basics so they can meet their monthly payments, Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said today. Deputy Murphy was commenting on new figures from estate agent Sherry FitzGerald which show that renters in Dublin are spending up to 55 per cent […]

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD has described Budget 2018 as a Budget of squandered opportunities in so many ways but in particular on addressing the housing emergency. She said there are lots of carrots but very few sticks, for example the Vacant Land Levy announced is still less than land price inflation. Deputy Murphy […]

The government’s inability to accurately count the number of new houses built each year is masking the true scale of the housing shortage, the Social Democrats said today. The party’s co-leader Catherine Murphy TD was commenting on a Goodbody BER housebuilding tracker published today, which shows that 5,377 houses were completed in 2016. This compares […]

Today’s Comptroller and Auditor General’s report highlights the government’s lack of ambition and long-term planning when it comes to managing our economy, the Social Democrats said today. The party’s co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said the government’s reliance on a small number of large corporations for its corporate tax base was ample evidence that mistakes of […]