Donate
Join Now

Public health guidelines needed for children’s online gaming

Social Democrats Spokesperson for Children, Councillor Jennifer Whitmore today called for new public health guidelines for children playing computer games and a review of how some ‘loot boxes’ and in-game purchases target children. “Parents need to be better equipped to engage with their children about their online habits, and clear public health guidelines for the […]

Read more

Government must stand firm on backstop

The Social Democrats today called on the government to stand firm on the need for a legally binding agreement to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland. “This is about protecting the peace process, honouring the Good Friday Agreement and safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of people on both sides of the border. […]

Read more

Róisín Shortall brands Social Welfare claim assessment ‘a shambles’

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD today branded the Social Welfare claim assessment process as a “shambles”. “The numbers speak for themselves, there is something very wrong with a system where so many cases are refused on application, then approved on appeal.” Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD today branded the Social Welfare claim assessment […]

Read more

Some progress but still major gaps in Residential Tenancies Bill

The Government’s Residential Tenancies Bill, currently being debated in the Dáil, contains welcome provisions to support people and families renting, but it still falls short of the protections that are necessary to provide certainty and security for renters. “The Social Democrats coined the phrase ‘Locked-Out Generation’ back in 2016 to highlight the issues facing the […]

Read more

Sports funding needs to be put on a different track, says Garrett Mullan

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD today called on the Minister for Health to intervene to compel the HSE to release smear slides to women affected by the CervicalCheck controversy so they can be independently reviewed. “We need more people active in sport, and in particular young people. The investment in sports is made up […]

Read more

Shortall slams long waiting lists for children’s mental health services

The co-leader of the Social Democrats Róisín Shortall TD today sharply criticised the Minister for Health, as children are left on long waiting lists for mental health services. “The Minister needs to look at how resources are being distributed around different parts of the country. No child should be forced to endure such a wait […]

Read more

Garda failings over juvenile crime must be watershed moment

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD has said senior Garda management must be held to account and victims and communities properly compensated for the force’s utter failure to prosecute juvenile crime. “The victims of these crimes and their communities continue to pay an incredibly heavy price for the abject failure of our national police force […]

Read more

Shortall slams growth in numbers waiting for home care packages

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD has today slammed the Minister for Health for his failure to deal with the ongoing crisis in older person’s services “”In failing to properly fund home care services, the government is essentially telling older people that they simply do not care about their needs.” Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall […]

Read more