Social Democrats meet in Dublin for first national conference

Members of the Social Democrats will gather in Dublin today for the party’s first national conference, which will culminate in a joint leaders’ speech by the party’s two co-leaders, TDs Róisín Shortall and Catherine Murphy this evening.

Over 500 delegates will meet in the National Convention Centre in Dublin city centre for the conference, which will also see the party’s first ever elections for its national executive and party chair. The party will also unveil its constitution.

The conference will conduct sessions on universal healthcare and affordable housing, after opening this morning with a session entitled “Why Ireland Needs Social Democracy”.

In the afternoon, there will be workshops on Brexit, repealing the Eighth Amendment governing Ireland’s abortion law, transparency in public life, revitalising the regions and effective local campaigning.

Amongst the speakers to address the meetings will be Orla O’Connor of the National Women’s Council, Gráinne Healy of Marriage Equality, equality campaigner Niall Crowley, economics professor PJ Drudy, Arnold Dillon of Ibec and Irish Times columnist Fintan O’Toole.

Ms Shortall said the party had been developing its structures since the general election and now had local organisations in 20 constituencies.

The party is seeking to build towards the next local and European elections, with a view towards having candidates in place for the next general election in as many constituencies as possible.

Representatives

It has nominated a series of constituency and regional representatives, including Anne-Marie McNally (Dublin Mid-West), Glenna Lynch (Dublin Bay South,) Ken Curtin (Cork East), Sarah Jane Hennelly (Limerick City) and councillors Cian O’Callaghan (Dublin Bay North), Gary Gannon (Dublin Central) and Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow), who will all be prominent at today’s conference.

It has been bolstered by about €500,000 in State funding since the election of three TDs at February’s general election, and has hired a number of staff, including the prominent campaigner for same-sex marriage, Brian Sheehan, who has become general secretary of the party. However, the party was rocked during the summer by the departure of Wicklow TD Stephen Donnelly, one of its founding members.

Mr Donnelly’s departure robbed the party of its highest-profile media performer and left a legacy of personal bitterness. The two remaining TDs, Ms Shortall and Ms Murphy, have not spoken to Mr Donnelly since his resignation.

The party has retained the funding allocated to it for Mr Donnelly, despite requests from him to return even some of the money.

According to Ms Shortall, the party agrees “in principle” to return his State funding to him, but party funding regulations prohibit it. This is disputed by Mr Donnelly. Ms Shortall said that the position with two co-leaders would continue for the present.

“It’s an open question really. It’s working quite well. There is a huge amount of work – it’s been very demanding, so sharing it for the moment works well.”