News

The government is making it up as it goes along when it comes to a review of SNA allocations, according to Social Democrats spokesperson for children Aidan Farrelly. Deputy Farrelly said: “The government created utter turmoil for families and schools this week with its botched SNA review, which was abruptly paused on Tuesday in response […]

Today’s announcement of a public consultation on the cost of having a disability should not distract from the fact that the government continues to ignore calls for an emergency winter payment for disabled people, according to Social Democrats TD Eoin Hayes. Deputy Hayes, who is the party’s spokesperson on social protection, said: “While I hope […]

Over-dependence on a handful of multinational companies’ corporation tax leaves the State exposed to huge risk, according to Social Democrats finance spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. Deputy O’Callaghan said: “Last year, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council warned that overreliance on unstable corporate tax revenues is reckless. “Today, IFAC has estimated that almost half of the corporation tax […]

The government’s decision to scrap plans for an elective-only hospital in Galway must be reversed, according to Social Democrats health spokesperson Pádraig Rice. Deputy Rice said: “In 2021, the government committed to building elective-only hospitals in Galway, Cork and Dublin to support the separation of scheduled and unscheduled care. These facilities are needed to ensure […]

The latest property prices published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) provide further damning evidence of failed housing policy by this and previous governments, according to Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne. Deputy Hearne, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, said: “Prospective buyers are seeing the dream of homeownership evaporate before their eyes because of this […]

The treatment of hundreds of children by North Kerry Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services exposed many young patients to unacceptable risk and reflects serious failures in oversight and clinical governance, according to Social Democrats mental health spokesperson Liam Quaide TD. Deputy Quaide said: “Of the 374 cases reviewed, the report identifies a risk of […]

Government plans to introduce age restrictions for under-16s on social media are well intentioned but will not work, according to Social Democrats TDs Sinéad Gibney and Aidan Farrelly. Deputy Gibney, who is the party’s media spokesperson, said: “This seems to be a case of the government wanting to be seen to be doing something but, […]

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 […]