News

“Today’s Budget provides for an extra two weeks of paid parental leave per parent. This is a meagre allocation – and it doesn’t even kick in until November of next year.” Social Democrats Spokesperson on Children, Councillor Jennifer Whitmore, has said the government has done the bare minimum to support working parents in Budget 2019. […]

“There is nothing in this Budget for hard-presser renters who are among the worst hit by the current housing crisis. Instead, landlords have received another tax break.” Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD has said housing measures in Budget 2019 are  failing hard-pressed renters while profiting landlords and private developers. Deputy Murphy said: There are […]

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD has accused the government of cherry-picking crucial Sláintecare health reforms in Budget 2019.. “It is incredibly disappointing that the Budget has fallen very far short of the funding needed to properly implement the vision set out in Sláintecare for a universal single tier health service where people are treated […]

Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy has said that there is increasing evidence that the handling of the tender process for the National Broadband Plan contract has been below best governance standards. “We are dealing with one of the most important state contracts that will ever be awarded and any sniff of impropriety or bad governance […]

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD raises serious concern about the conduct of the Minister for Communications, Denis Naughten TD, during the National Broadband Plan bidding process. “The Minister can’t have been so politically naïve as to ignore the implications of the changes to the consortium advised to him during the New York dinner.” Social Democrats […]

The Social Democrats today unveiled the party’s Alternative Budget for 2019, an ambitious and fully-costed plan to help families live decent and affordable lives by driving down daily living costs and investing in public services. “Our Budget presents a vision for a fairer future where all people can live affordable lives without having to constantly […]

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD express her concerns the revelations that the Minister for Communications Denis Naughten met with the only remaining bidder for the National Broadband Plan. “Yet here we are again with the same Minister taking a private meeting with the head of a consortium containing some of the same personnel involved […]

Social Democrats Spokeswoman on Children Councillor Jennifer Whitmore has called for a human milk bank to be set up in the Republic of Ireland. “We can’t allow families and babies-in-need to be caught up in any potential political upheaval in the wake of Brexit. The Government needs to take a proactive approach and establish a […]

Social Democrats Spokesperson on Energy and Climate Change, Councillor Cian O’Callaghan has called on the government to establish a waste regulator to oversee price controls for bin collections. “At the moment, there is absolutely no transparency in the sector. We don’t know who owns many of the companies or what their profits or losses are. […]

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD has called on the government to come clean on the number of people who are homeless amid concerns about the re-categorisation of figures in the latest official statistics. “Cutting the official figures does nothing to help those people who are living in emergency accommodation that is either owned or […]