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Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has criticised the Minister for Children’s response to the recent High Court ruling in relation to two institutions wrongly excluded from the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme. Deputy Cairns said: “The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme has been needlessly discriminatory since its inception, with 24,000 people excluded from […]

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has criticised the Taoiseach’s refusal to provide a timeline for when the government will act on the recommendations of a 2023 review into the operation of Ireland’s abortion laws. Deputy Cairns made her comments after raising the harrowing case of Denise Whitmore during Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil today. She […]

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has expressed her horror at Cork City Council’s decision to grant planning permission for 140 apartments on lands at the former Bessborough mother and baby home. Deputy Cairns said: “This is the possible burial place of hundreds of unaccounted for children who died at this notorious institution, which operated as […]

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 […]

Hi everyone, Welcome to the Social Democrats Conference, coming to you live from Cork City. It is so good to be here and to see all of you. I also want to welcome everyone tuning in at home. Thank you Cian, for your introduction. I’ve said it before and I’ll … never stop saying it, […]

The Social Democrats’ seventh National Conference takes place in Cork this weekend (February 6&7) at a time of significant growth for the party. Speaking ahead of this evening’s programme – which will close with a keynote address by the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland, Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid – party leader Holly Cairns said: “This is […]

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has paid tribute to young disability campaigner Cara Darmody ahead of a cross-party Opposition motion on Assessments of Needs (AONs), which will be debated in the Dáil this evening. Deputy Cairns said: “Through her tireless advocacy on behalf of her two younger brothers, Cara has helped keep the spotlight on […]

“Today’s historic visit by President Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska provides the people of Ireland with a timely opportunity to reaffirm our solidarity with the citizens of Ukraine. “It’s now approaching four years since Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine began. With the country under relentless attack from Putin’s murderous regime, the Ukrainian people have […]

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has paid tribute to social justice campaigner Sr Stanislaus Kennedy who passed away this morning. Deputy Cairns said: “For decades, Sr Stan was a tireless campaigner and advocate for some of the most marginalised people in our society, from the homeless to members of the migrant community. “Through her work […]

“I would like to send the biggest congratulations to Catherine on her resounding election victory, which is a seismic moment in our history. “Catherine is someone I have admired since I was first elected to the Dáil, not least because her values so closely align with those of the Social Democrats. I will always be […]