News

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has called on the Taoiseach to urgently clarify if it is still official government policy to co-locate the Rotunda with Connolly Hospital, as envisaged in the 2016 National Maternity Strategy. Deputy Cairns said: “A €100 million critical care unit at the Rotunda Hospital was supposed to be a gamechanger for […]

The government must clarify what the pause in proposed SNA cuts means for families and school staff around the country, according to Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide. Deputy Quaide said: “This afternoon, the government backtracked on planned cuts to Special Needs Assistants in schools across the country after ferocious pressure from the public. “SNAs support […]

The Minister for Health must explain why she did not intervene sooner and publicly state that plans to locate the Rotunda Hospital with Connolly in Blanchardstown had effectively been abandoned by the government, according to Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice. Deputy Rice, who is the party’s health spokesperson, made his comments after An Comisiún Pleanála […]

This government’s approach to climate has gone to the dogs, according to Social Democrats environment spokesperson Jennifer Whitmore TD. Deputy Whitmore said: “In 2023 and 2024, the last coalition published those year’s respective Climate Action Plans the December before – it’s now February and there’s no sign of this year’s plan. “Last year’s plan, the […]

The continued placement of younger disabled people in nursing homes represents a serious human rights failure and shows that the State has moved far too slowly to implement the recommendations of the Ombudsman’s ‘Wasted Lives’ report, according to Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide. Deputy Quaide, who is the party’s disability spokesperson, made his comments after […]

The latest ‘Locked Out of the Market’ report published by the Simon Communities of Ireland shows that current policy is failing our communities, according to Social Democrats candidate for Galway West Míde Nic Fhionnlaoich Míde said: “It is terrifying that, as of the end of December, no properties were available under Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) thresholds […]

The government should adopt a Social Democrats’ proposal for a State savings scheme that would help finance the delivery of social and affordable homes, according to the party’s housing spokesperson Rory Hearne. Deputy Hearne said: “On RTÉ’s ‘This Week’ programme yesterday, the Tánaiste revealed that the government is drawing up a strategy to help savers […]

Reports this morning that people awaiting deportation are now being arrested and detained in already dangerously overcrowded Irish prisons are deeply disturbing, according to Social Democrats justice spokesperson Gary Gannon. Deputy Gannon said: “This is the direct and predictable result of a Justice Minister who has profoundly neglected and mismanaged both our prison system and […]

The government must not proceed with any plan to cut Special Needs Assistant support across the country, according to Social Democrats education spokesperson Jen Cummins TD. Deputy Cummins, who has been meeting with teachers, school leaders, SNAs and parents on special education, said: “The proposed cuts are wholly premature; many new special classes, which will […]

The thousands of peaceful protestors arrested and charged for supporting Palestine Action must have their names cleared after the group’s victory in the High Court, according to Social Democrats foreign affairs spokesperson Patricia Stephenson Senator Stephenson said: “Palestine Action should never have been proscribed as a terrorist group in the first place – the court’s […]