It is unacceptable that some of the most vulnerable people in our society cannot access the Additional Needs Payment to help them with rising costs which they cannot meet out of their regular income.

Older people have so much to contribute to our society and to our workplaces. Much of the discussion about retirement ages centres on the pension entitlements, which of course are hugely important.

It’s hard to understand how Dublin City Council can have no funds remaining for roads resurfacing in 2026 in parts of our city 🧵

It is deeply regrettable that the government has refused to engage on the issue of the forced closure of the Silk Road Cafe in the Chester Beatty Library. Small businesses should not need to go to the courts as a result of government policies.

1 in 10 older people now live in consistent poverty. Many older people living alone are struggling with heating and energy bills. We need targeted supports that reach those who need them most.

🚨 The Taoiseach has publicly called on Covalen to meet with the union. On 16th June, TD Eoin Hayes raised the issue of the 720 redundancies announced by Covalen directly with Taoiseach Micheál Martin in the Dáil.

The Silk Road Café in the Chester Beatty Library at Dublin Castle is allowed to reopen tomorrow after it secured an injunction preventing its closure before the end of its license agreement jrnl.ie/7072536

The development in Poolbeg will be transformative, delivering thousands of badly needed homes while creating a vibrant new community in our city. But the levels of infrastructure in place need to be developed concurrently to handle the increasing population.

We’re looking for a Policy Officer who will help shape the party’s platform. If you love the sound of researching legislative changes and collaborating with members to create fairer policies for Ireland - we want to hear from you. www.socialdemocrats.ie/jobs/policy-...

The UEFA Nations League game between Ireland and Israel should not go ahead. The immense power that sport has for good should not be hijacked by brutal regimes who want to pretend that they are operating within international norms.

The Social Protection system should be there to protect people, to ensure that no one falls below a certain level of means, particularly during difficult life transitions and with particular care for vulnerable groups.  But disabled people are not being supported sufficiently.

An extensive suite of measures is needed to address the financial precarity of caring. Thousands of carers have been forced to cut back on heating and eating in order to provide for some of our most vulnerable people. The cost of care has become unmanageable. @eoinhayestd.bsky.social

The conditions in Pearse House, Markievicz House, and other flats complexes in Dublin are unacceptable. Alternative financing proposals must be considered, such as making debt facilities available to Dublin City Council, so that as capacity improves, the funding is in place automatically.

Some big news today from party leader Holly Cairns 👇

I’ve written to Minister Patrick O’Donovan to engage with the Silk Road Café and all relevant stakeholders to find a solution to support this thriving independent business and its staff.

I’ve spoken about the flows of Dark Money through Ireland’s financial system in terms of risks to our reputation as not facilitating corruption in other jurisdictions, but Dark Money also represents a significant threat to our democratic processes, creating major exposure to foreign interference.

Recent lay-offs have rightly caused great concern among not only tech workers, but anyone concerned with the model of economic growth we are pursuing in this country.

The recent Job losses at Meta and their contractor Covalen are deeply troubling, and are a sign of things to come as the government has failed to put the planning in place that can protect jobs and livelihoods from the growth of AI.

The cost of living is rising for everyone, and it is particularly challenging for vulnerable groups such as disabled people. The bottom 20% of households by income are facing cost inflation pressures of about 5%, nearly twice the rate of annual inflation.

We’ve been consistent in calling for reform of the Child Benefit scheme - including outlining in our last alternative budget how a reworking of the Working Family Payment could be used to create a second tier of child benefit.

My latest blog is now online. I get into what happened with Holly’s Reproductive Rights Bill last week, and how the government has chosen to ignore this issue and obstruct any meaningful progress on reproductive healthcare. Click through to have a read. eoinhayes.ie/2026/05/18/w...

Daniel Ennis is proud of Dublin Central and passionate about making it a better place to live. Vote for solutions over stagnation. Vote for hope over hate. Vote for positive change over broken promises. This May 22, vote Daniel Ennis number 1.

Last week as I attended the 1916 Commemoration in Arbour Hill. It was a lovely morning, as well as a somber occasion, as President Connolly laid a wreath at the resting place of the 7 signatories of the Proclamation of the Republic.

A Cost of Disability Strategic Focus Network Summit is taking place today. But this must be more than just a talking shop. Disabled people have been repeatedly failed. It's time for Govt to commit a permanent cost of disability support payment in October’s budget. @eoinhayestd.bsky.social

The conditions in many of the social housing flats developments in Dublin is an outrage and a disgrace. Pearse House has only just been approved for a limited retrofit after the more comprehensive regeneration proposal was pulled last year.

The rate of consistent poverty for those aged 65 and older increased by 70% last year. Among older people living alone, the rate of consistent poverty has doubled to nearly 9.6% - that’s nearly one in ten living in poverty and deprivation.

The flow of so-called Dark Money - the proceeds of crime and corruption - through Ireland’s financial system presents significant risks to our reputation as a low-corruption country and as a major financial centre, not to mention how it exposes our democratic processes to foreign interference.

St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre is one of Dublin’s most iconic landmarks. So it deserves better than poor design and neglect. The latest proposal falls far short. Dubliners deserve quality, care and ambition. Join us 📍 Saturday, 9th May, 1pm to make your voice heard.

Ireland is one of the windiest countries in the world, with the potential to harness incredible amounts of clean energy to fuel our own domestic needs and also supply other countries via exports.

Govt's refusal to introduce a €400 targeted energy credit for vulnerable households - as proposed by the Soc Dems - is inexcusable. Pensioners are struggling. Disabled people are struggling. Family carers are struggling. Why won't the Govt listen? @eoinhayestd.bsky.social

Many freelancers and self-employed people struggle with periods of low and no income, and it’s vital they are supported through these period to ensure they can continue to contribute to the system and the economy into the future.

Lois and Sam and the team do excellent work at the Dublin Inquirer and spend virtually every cent in the public interest - really worth supporting with a subscription, if you can.

The fuel supports brought in over the last number of weeks have come too late, and at the cost of this government’s own logic that making changes to spending plans is not fiscally prudent.

I’m very happy to see this long overdue piece of legislation on a disregard for historic offences for consensual sexual activity between men progress through the Dáil.

The Charities Regulator does very important work as Ireland’s national statutory regulator for charitable organisations.

Community Gardaí play a critical role in the prevention of crime and supporting positive development among youth in our communities, and it is of the utmost importance that they are supported at every turn.

The measures brought in by the government this week to address the fuel crisis are coming too late, and by not targeting supports, they will fail to shield those who are most vulnerable to the growing crisis.

The government has repeatedly said they will not adjust their spending plans. They have said this constantly as we have called for interventions over the last number of months.

The government have survived the confidence motion, but the Social Democrats will continue to push for more supports for people during the energy crisis.

Statement from Party Leader @hollycairns.bsky.social

As a result of last year's Budget, those on lowest incomes are €250 worse off this year – and that was before the illegal war in Iran made fuel prices skyrocket. The govt is missing opportunity after opportunity to help people with the cost of their energy bills. It's time they took a chance.

Simon Harris recently announced plans to improve returns for Irish savers, but the scheme as it’s designed is problematic. My latest blog post gets into the detail on why the current system isn’t working, and what a truly progressive solution might look like. eoinhayes.ie/2026/04/09/h...

Social Democrats launch ‘Solar for All’ plan to reduce energy costs for households. Supports for solar panel installation need to be dramatically expanded and improved to help households cut their energy bills... www.socialdemocrats.ie/social-democ...

This is my favorite climate change chart. Japanese monks, aristocrats, and emperors kept meticulous records of cherry blossom festivals for 1,200 years and accidentally built the world's longest climate dataset.

While we supported cuts to excise duties to bring down fuel costs - it is not enough for people to weather the current energy crisis caused by the American-Israeli War in Iran.

How many TDs should we have? I take a stab at it. www.irishtimes.com/opinion/lett...

The energy crisis which we are facing requires decisive and impactful interventions from the government, but emergency measures cannot be taken without proper scrutiny and oversight.

My latest blog post looks at a major issue for Dublin Bay South - Flood Insurance. So many homeowners, residents and businesses have spoken to me about their difficulties getting covered for flood events. You can read all about the work I’ve been doing on it here.

The government must include an Emergency Payment for Disabled people among the measures to address the energy crisis, which now looms over all of us, but especially those who are already facing increased bills on reduced incomes.

Trans people are your family members, neighbors, friends, coworkers, peers, and fellow members of your community. They can’t erase us.