The Social Democrats will be elevated to the second question slot during Leaders’ Questions from June 9th to reflect the party’s 12 Dáil seats following Daniel Ennis’ by-election win. The change was agreed by the Committee on Standing Orders today.

a "short-term challenge" with long lasting psychological impacts on children and adults one that many of us on the ground are dealing with now and will be dealing with for years to come

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Kildare County Council is bringing forward long-called-for safety improvements at the Sex’s Road Roundabout, including raised pedestrian crossings, tighter kerbs, resurfacing and new line markings. Public consultation opens Tuesday 12 May and runs until 5pm on Wednesday 10 June.

Plenty covered at this morning’s Municipal District meeting. From bridge safety & car park markings, to the youth space and the laneways, there’s a lot to update on. #CllrChrisPender #NewbridgeOrNowhere #Newbridge #CommunityMatters #Kildare

I raised this issue back in October & people are still asking the same question, what is happening with these laneways? I've now formally asked for a full report You can still sign the petition: www.change.org/p/close-the-... #CllrChrisPender #NewbridgeOrNowhere #Newbridge #Kildare #SaferStreets

When a new Sports and Physical Activity Plan is published for Kildare, the obvious question is whether anything in it will actually change that reality. open.substack.com/pub/chrispen...

If you want to know what’s actually happening behind the council reports in Newbridge, I’ve laid it all out here. What’s moving. What’s not. Read it here: open.substack.com/pub/chrispen... #Newbridge #Kildare #Infrastructure

I welcome investment in Newbridge’s water network. But residents need one clear answer: when will people actually feel the benefit in their own homes? This cannot just be about future growth. Existing households dealing with poor water pressure need real improvement too. #Newbridge

Not the best slide… But a proper playground is on the way for Moorefield Park • Contractor appointed • Works starting soon I’ll share more details once design is confirmed #CllrChrisPender #NewbridgeOrNowhere #Newbridge

Riverbank Arts Centre update • Planning work underway • Feedback due 25 March • No full funding yet • Next step is securing delivery funding This project matters for the town centre and I’ll be pushing to keep it moving. #CllrChrisPender #NewbridgeOrNowhere #Newbridge #Kildare #LocalGovernment

Bad news for housing in Kildare. Projects in Newbridge, Naas, Celbridge & Kildare Town have been halted after the Government pulled the plug on the PPP delivery model. 431 homes now delayed Councils are told to build more homes, then the funding disappears.

The plan we're bringing to the Dáil on Wednesday can't be summed up in just 30 seconds – because there's no quick fix for GP care. Our plan has twenty realistic, achievable actions. But we need your help to get it over the line. Email your local TD today, and ask them to support our motion.

Students are budgeting every cent just to get through the week. Parents are paying more in rent for their children than their own mortgages. This is what the cost of living crisis looks like for students.

Pay parking in Newbridge and Kildare. In 2021, it cost 66 percent of the income just to run the system. By 2025, that figure is 72 percent. Income went up. Costs went up faster. Paid parking stayed in the same two towns.

Progress on the second bridge is welcome, but clarity matters. €200,000 only makes sense if it moves the project to tender and construction. There is already an approved planning permission, and it runs with the land. Newbridge cannot afford delay or duplication. bit.ly/40jOmED

Seeing a GP shouldn’t depend on what you can afford. GP visits can cost €70 or more. Many practices aren’t taking new patients. Even routine appointments can take weeks. That pushes people to delay care or end up in A&E. Share your experience here: www.socialdemocrats.ie/gpsurvey

Every month we can submit two motions and two questions. This is my second question for the next meeting. People pay for parking and fines every day in Newbridge. I’m asking for five years of figures on income, costs, and contracts. If people are paying in, they deserve transparency.

Thanks to Ken Phelan for clear reporting. Kildare County Council refused this in Sept 2025 under the Newbridge Settlement Plan. That local decision was overturned. This is an expansion of gambling in the town centre, close to homes and services. Labels do not change the harm. bit.ly/40d7i84

My friend Dan is among the most principled and decent people I have ever met. He puts himself on the line every single day to help his community, defying the cynical fascists who prey on fear and whip up hatred. This is why he’s going to win #ByElection #SpeirGorm m.independent.ie/irish-news/m...

Traffic lights affect how safe it is to cross and how traffic moves through Newbridge. At places like St Conleth’s Bridge, the timings don’t always work. That’s why I’m bringing a motion next week to review signal timings using real data. #CllrChrisPender #NewbridgeOrNowhere #RoadSafety

A couple hours ago I was minding this glorious Bean (i may have stolen him on my niece) only now have I realised that I still currently have "Noodle and Pals" playing on the TV...

Flooding in Newbridge wasn’t luck. It was council staff on the ground and emergency measures doing the job. But Newbridge is still stuck in Tranche 2 for a full Flood Relief Scheme. That’s why this is my first question next week. #CllrChrisPender #NewbridgeOrNowhere #FloodRisk

Children with additional needs shouldn't be an afterthought. Yet when it comes to school places, they still are. To top it all off, the system for applying for these school places is far too complicated. When are the govt going to deliver on their promises to parents?

Footpaths in parts of Newbridge are so narrow a lighting column can block a buggy or wheelchair. That’s not acceptable. Next week I’m bringing a motion to pilot wall mounted or solar lighting so footpaths work for everyone. #CllrChrisPender #NewbridgeOrNowhere #AccessibleStreets

Newbridge town centre zoning clearly says arcade uses are not permitted. Kildare County Council refused the expansion on that basis. An Coimisiún Pleanála has now overturned that decision. This goes against the local plan & the interests of our town. You can read the full story here; bit.ly/4rlj6RN

This man just removed the passenger cap at Dublin Airport! He is nothing more than an environmental vandal, a nihilistic wrecker of our shared future. How dare he speak about decarbonisation? Absolutely full of it.

The government must take control of the disastrous delivery of the National Children’s Hospital by issuing legal proceedings against BAM. The Health Minister must stop drafting letters and start drafting court proceedings. @padraigrice.bsky.social

17,000 people are homeless, including 5,000 children, and rents have soared. Yet the Government still claims its housing approach is working. People should judge them on the crisis they’ve created, not their promises.

Fianna Fáil have welched on their promise to take on AirBnb. Lucky for us there’s a by-election coming up in Dublin Central. Last time they got 7% of the vote. These are rookie numbers people, let’s drive it down to zero www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Aidan Farrelly TD will be joining Cormac Ó hEadhra on the Late Debate on RTÉ Radio One this evening – be sure to tune in!

It’s a great that the Govt can say they’re waiting on the AG advice - they’ve been trotting out that line for months. Meanwhile, Israel continues to act with impunity & approves plans for rapid annexation of the West Bank, while civilians are killed in Gaza.

Fine Gael just confirmed in Dublin City Council last night that they don’t accept that housing is a human right, so this tracks.

FG just tried to get a motion passed on the environment SPC in Dublin City Council relating to bringing back the use of Roundup (glyphosate) herbicide. Waiting for their motion next month on restoring lead in petrol.

I'm pushing for funding for Newbridge's second River Liffey bridge. The council has done its part – now we need national backing! To hear the full interview visit bit.ly/4bKsut1 #NewbridgeOrNowhere #CllrChrisPender #LocalGovernment #Infrastructure #RoadFunding

Tune in to KFM this morning to hear me speak about my motions and questions. from Yesterdays Municipal District meeting

Tough news for Newbridge. Newbridge Cutlery will cease production at its factory, with 11 local jobs affected. The factory closes on 10 April 2026. This does not impact the wider Newbridge Silverware business, but it is a serious loss for workers Story here: bit.ly/45mHbyC

Great to be celebrating Liffey Linear Park getting the Green Flag Award again. Nine years in a row Huge credit to Newbridge Tidy Towns Association for the work that goes in when most people never see it. Bonus for me I even caught a rare photo of Declan de Poar, usually the man behind the camera.

Children are waiting years for basic therapies across every region. This is not an isolated issue. It is a national failure. Primary care needs proper staffing, not excuses.

I read this article this morning and it stuck with me. It is about 20 years sober. Addiction. Relapse. Recovery. Grief. And finding a way forward that actually works. m.independent.ie/life/health-...

We now have the full list of new special class sanctions for the 2026-27 school year and not a single additional place for Newbridge i guess we know now why they were silent in the middst of all the drip feeding ncse.ie/wp-content/u...

📢 JULY FULL COUNCIL UPDATE Here's what I raised and supported at this month's full meeting of Kildare County Council from housing and taxation to inclusion and safety. Public services must work for everyone. Let’s build a fairer, more inclusive Kildare.

Grocery prices are OUT OF CONTROL. People across Ireland are feeling the pinch every week at the till but there’s still no transparency on why prices are rising so fast. This week, the Social Democrats are putting forward a motion in the Dáil to change that. 👇 #CostOfLiving #SocialDemocrats

🟣 Supporting Recovery in Kildare Too many people coming out of addiction treatment face a cliff edge no stable home, no support, no safety net. That’s unacceptable. 🧵

📚 Newbridge Library & Archives Project Moves Forward – Tender Stage Now Live 🏗️ Kildare County Council has officially entered the next phase of delivering the new Newbridge Library, Local Studies and Archive Building on Athgarvan Road.

Calls for Minister to meet Kildare councillors over Tenant-in-Situ scheme Council 'locked out' of scheme despite ongoing local advocacy, councillor claims www.leinsterleader.ie/news/local-n...

Road Alert – R445 Liffey Bridge After repeatedly raising the worsening potholes & surface defects at Liffey Bridge, I’m delighted that full road-surface resurfacing works for the bridge & the entire junction with Canning Place (L-7041) & Athgarvan Road (R-416) have now been brought forward.

The former Machinery Yard site is a rare opportunity to deliver both homes & the community, sporting, and recreational spaces our town urgently needs. Housing is essential but so is building a town that supports people’s wellbeing, connection, & future growth. www.leinsterleader.ie/news/local-n...

Great to see a project I’ve been working on finally getting started today! Just a heads-up: Stop/Go traffic measures are now in place, so do give yourself a few extra minutes if you’re passing through.