News

Social Democrats Spokesperson on Energy and Climate Change, Councillor Cian O’Callaghan, has said the onus on ending the use of non-recyclable plastics must be placed squarely at the door of producers and supermarkets pushing plastics on consumers. “Producers and retailers should lead the way and start phasing out now all packaging that can’t be recycled […]

The Social Democrats have welcomed today’s report by the Commission on the Future of Policing which recommends new external accountability and oversight structures and a shift to community policing. “We need to see buy-in from the highest level, both politically and among the senior ranks of the force, to get moving on these challenging reforms, […]

The Social Democrats today set out the party’s priorities for the new Dáil term, calling for a nationwide freeze on rents at current levels to stem the flow of low-and-middle income earners into homelessness. “The Government needs to intervene now to stop rents sky-rocketing any further. We have to end this exploitation of renters and […]

Commenting on this morning’s record figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund showing 718,165 patients on hospital waiting lists, Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD said the endless cycle of upwardly spiralling waiting lists is inexcusable. “The experience of daily suffering behind these waiting list numbers is appalling – the longer people wait for procedures, […]

Social Democrats Political Director and Consumer Affairs spokesperson Anne-Marie McNally has asked what planet Minister Eoghan Murphy lives on if he believes that €320,000 constitutes an affordable home. “It’s bad enough that Fine Gael propose to effectively give away vast chunks of state land to private developers, but then asking people to pay €320,000 for a […]

Social Democrats councillor Gary Gannon has welcomed tonight’s vote by Dublin City councillors to halt the sale of the last Magdalene Laundry in public ownership to the Toyoko Inn hotel chain. ““I’m delighted that my fellow councillors supported my motion to block the sale of the Magdalene Laundry site at Sean McDermott Street. This Laundry […]

The Social Democrats have described the government’s new Land Development Agency as an inadequate and unambitious response to the housing crisis. “There has been an urgent and obvious need for a development agency to coordinate the acquisition of land and the building of houses that are affordable to buy or rent. However, what’s being proposed […]

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD has strongly endorsed the calls of women and families affected by the CervicalCheck crisis for swift implementation of the detailed recommendations of the Scally report published today. “Dr Scally’s report lifts the lid on what is an exceptionally paternalistic culture within elements of the medical profession. It is incumbent […]

Social Democrats councillor Gary Gannon has expressed grave concern about the heavy-handed tactics used in an eviction of homeless protestors in Dublin by masked private security men which was overseen by gardaí also wearing balaclavas. Social Democrats councillor Gary Gannon has expressed grave concern about the heavy-handed tactics used in an eviction of homeless protestors […]

The Social Democrats today announce their support for Michael D Higgins in the forthcoming presidential election, after a consultation process with party members through the National Council. “Michael D Higgins is a social democrat. He espouses a vision and values that match those of our party, the Social Democrats, and throughout his presidency has strongly […]