News

The latest inflation figures for the Irish economy further highlight the urgent need for the Government to introduce targeted energy supports to assist struggling households, according to Social Democrats finance spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. Deputy O’Callaghan said: “The latest Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) indicate that prices rose at an annualised rate of 3.6 per […]

The Government is telling a generation of young people that their future is living in a shed in the back of a garden, according to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne. Deputy Hearne said: “The Government’s ‘beds in sheds’ policy is pockmarked with a litany of flaws. There is no mechanism to prevent these sheds […]

Today’s harrowing record-high homelessness figures are an indictment of a Government which has completely lost control of Ireland’s housing emergency, according to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne. Deputy Hearne said: “Today’s figures show there were a record 17,308 people living in homeless emergency accommodation at the end of February. Shockingly, 5,457 of them are […]

It’s difficult to understand how the Department of Education is facing an overspend of up to €700 million while schools around the country continue to struggle from underinvestment, according to Social Democrats TD Jen Cummins. Deputy Cummins, who is the party’s education spokesperson, said: “I am deeply concerned at reports that the Department of Education […]

There must be urgent action from the Government to tackle the addictive nature of AI-boosted social media algorithms and the harm they cause, according to Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney. Deputy Gibney, who sits on the Oireachtas AI Committee, said: “A seismic court ruling in the United States has found Meta and Google deliberately designed […]

Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice has today renewed his call on the Minister for Health to consider taking legal action against BAM to push the troubled National Children’s Hospital project over the line. Deputy Rice, who is the party’s health spokesperson, said: “At today’s Health Committee, it was confirmed that the 18th substantial completion deadline […]

It’s time that the Government introduced a real, enforceable right to remote working, according to Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney. Deputy Gibney, who is the party’s spokesperson on employment, said: “Allowing staff to work from home, where possible, has been recommended by both the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and the International Energy Agency […]

Today’s announcement that over 121 of the country’s most disadvantaged schools are to receive additional supports, including hundreds of new staff, under the DEIS+ scheme is timely, according to Social Democrats education spokesperson Jen Cummins. Deputy Cummins said: “I am delighted to finally see progress on the DEIS+ scheme – it is particularly encouraging to […]

The Government’s decision to abandon plans to move certain immigration and planning judicial review cases from the High Court to the Circuit Court is both welcome and necessary, according to Social Democrats justice spokesperson Gary Gannon TD. Deputy Gannon said: “While this decision is welcome, it should never have come to this. This proposal would […]

Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice has welcomed the Minister for Health’s confirmation that she will commence Section 232 of the Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR) Act on April 20. Deputy Rice, who is the party’s health spokesperson, said: “In response to my parliamentary question, the Minister for Health has confirmed that she will commence Section 232 […]