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Social Democrats councillor Elisa O’Donovan has strongly criticised unacceptably long waiting lists for orthodontic treatments for children under the age of 16 in the Mid-West region. Cllr O’Donovan, who is the party’s general election candidate in Limerick city, said: “Figures I received from the HSE are deeply concerning. There are currently 676 young people on […]

The Minister for Health must immediately clarify if and when he became aware of a confidential report, which raises serious questions about the HSE’s readiness to commission and operate the National Children’s Hospital, according to Social Democrats health spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “While the Minister has been extremely keen to foist all the blame on developer […]

The fingerprints of three health ministers, and two Taoisigh, are all over this disaster – Leo Varadkar, Simon Harris and Stephen Donnelly The government is attempting to foist all blame for the ongoing fiasco with the National Children’s Hospital on developer BAM in an effort to evade responsibility for successive government’s mishandling of this critical […]

There must be a reckoning for the political system, which failed to respond to an obvious crisis in the midwest, and allowed the population there to be put at risk There must be accountability, at political and hospital management level, for the circumstances at University Hospital Limerick that led to the tragic death of Aoife […]

A decision to reduce ambulance services in Cork and Kerry will put lives at risk, according to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns. Deputy Cairns, who is a TD for Cork South-West, said: “Without any prior consultation with staff, senior management of the National Ambulance Service have announced their intention to reduce ambulance cover in Cork […]

Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore has urged the Government to include the regulation of nicotine pouches in proposed legislation to ban disposable vapes. Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s spokesperson on children, said: “Under proposals being brought to Cabinet today, the sale of disposable vapes will be banned, with further measures planned to restrict flavours […]

The HSE must make a full statement following the resignation this week of two prominent campaigners from a national steering group tasked with improving children’s disability services, according to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns. Deputy Cairns, who is the party’s spokesperson on disability, said: “It is deeply concerning to learn that two of the three […]

The Minister for Health must come into the Dáil and answer questions as to why €19m in funding specifically allocated to reduce waiting times for children’s spinal surgery was spent elsewhere, according to Social Democrats health spokesperson Róisín Shortall. “This latest controversy is a further betrayal of children awaiting scoliosis surgery. “In 2017, then Minister […]

The Taoiseach’s revelation today that there is a 61 per cent staff vacancy rate in primary care psychology services for young people in Cork and Kerry is deeply concerning and requires an urgent explanation from the HSE, according to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns. “While there has been much focus on the crisis in Child […]

The Minister for Mental Health must come up with an urgent plan to address the crisis in primary care psychology services for children and adolescents in Cork and Kerry, according to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns. “In response to a parliamentary question I submitted, the HSE revealed that the total number of young people on […]