News

The budget silence on removing primary school costs and on the rapidly escalating costs of going to third level means ever reducing chances of people fulfilling their education potential, according to the Social Democrats. Responding to today’s Budget announcement, Councillor Gary Gannon, Spokesperson on Education Equality and Access said: “Access to higher and further education […]

Despite the commitments in the Programme for Government to increase paid parental leave, broaden parental choice and increase supports for stay at home parents, there is nothing in Budget 2018 for children not in formal childcare, according to the Social Democrats. Speaking after today’s Budget announcement, Councillor Jennifer Whitmore, Spokesperson on Children, said: “The reality […]

Budget 2018 falls very far short of what is needed to implement the Sláintecare health reform plan, Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD said today. Speaking immediately after the Budget was announced, Deputy Shortall said: “For the first time in history, the government had in front of it a fully costed plan for health reform […]

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 […]

Anne-Marie McNally, the Social Democrats candidate for Dublin Mid-West, has called on the Government to avail of EU review procedures to change our VAT rates on certain products. Ms McNally highlighted some inexplicable discrepancies in the VAT rate attached to similar products such as adult crash helmets and children’s crash helmets. Children’s helmets are charged […]

Catherine Murphy TD, Social Democrats Co-Leader, has drawn attention to a PQ reply which details funding provided to homeless services on a regional basis which, she says, gives further meaning to some of the harrowing stories emanating from areas outside the Dublin region such as the ones highlighted on Morning Ireland yesterday. The reply received […]

Parents are given more choices when it comes to childcare under budget proposals put forward today by the Social Democrats, the party’s spokesperson on Children, Cllr Jennifer Whitmore, has said. The party’s Alternative Budget 2018 includes a new Early Years Payment as well as a new 13-week long paid parental leave entitlement. Speaking today as […]

The joint leaders of the Social Democrats tonight paid tribute to the former Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael, Liam Cosgrave. “We are saddened to learn of the death of Liam Cosgrave. We extend our sympathy to his family, as well as his Fine Gael colleagues and friends,” said Róisín Shortall TD and Catherine Murphy […]

Commenting on recent events in Catalonia, Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD today condemned police violence and urged all sides to reach a political solution to the constitutional crisis. Deputy Shortall said: “The weekend’s scenes of police violence and the forced closure of polling stations in Catalonia were shocking to witness. It is vital that […]

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 […]