Social Democrats target housing and ‘intolerable’ health system

The Social Democrats has set sustainable, detailed, long-term solutions to housing, education and the “intolerable” health system as primary goals as a political party party.

The party's two joint leaders Catherine Murphy and Róisín Shortall both said the party would seek to create policy platforms that were permanent and avoid the quick-fix responses they say have characterised Irish politics throughout the history of the State.

Both were speaking at the inaugural national conference of the Social Democrats which is being held in the National Convention Centre on Saturday.

Over 400 delegates were present to hear sessions on the concept of social democracy and the health services this morning. Over 500 people are expected to attend for the keynote speeches from the joint leaders at 8pm.

Members of the party, which now number over 1,000, are also expected to approve its first constitution. It includes a provision for joint leadership of the party. However, there are mechanisms to allow for a single leader. The term of a leader is for five years and it must also must be renewed some six months after a general election, if the party does not enter government.

Ms Murphy and Ms Shortall identified health, housing and education as priority issues for the party.

Mr Murphy told The Irish Times the party wanted to move to a situation where there was universal health care that would be free at the point of delivery. She said Ms Shortall's initiative to chair the all-party committee looking at the long-term future of the health services reflected that commitment.

Referring to the dramatic change in the health services in Britain that came after the second World War, she said: "Ireland has yet to have its National Health Service moment and we need it."

During the session on health, Ms Shortall quoted Irish Times columnist Fintan O'Toole's speech to delegates earlier that day in which he said Ireland needed to "eliminate the intolerable".

She asserted that 350 people were dying each year because they were being left on trolleys and the system was not capable of responding to their health needs. “It is so intolerable that people are left in care with debilitating health conditions.

“We need a clear road map from this point of an intolerable health system to a point where we have a single tier health service,” she said.

At the conference the party has also called for an end to the situation where State-funded faith schools could refuse children from different faiths or non-religious backgrounds.

There was also a call for rent certainty measures (due to expire early next month) to prevent a spike in homelessness this winter.

Speaking to The Irish Times, Ms Murphy said there had been a lot of good will since the party was formed but they needed to build it into something bigger.

She said that there were now branches in 20 constituencies and a presence in as many as eight other constituencies. She also pointed to the fact the party had a young profile.

She said that long-term, politics need to work on a different housing model.

“Housing has dominated every crash we have been involved in.

“There has to be integrity in policy as well. If you say you won’t erode the tax base you have to stand by that,” she said.

Ms Murphy agreed that the departure of Stephen Donnelly had had an impact on the party and defended the joint leadership model on the basis there was such a mountain of work to be done.

“There’s a mechanism for changing that [in the draft constitution]. We open for that to be changed. We want to include the membership in that process.”

She also said the party was sustainable in the long run and said there were values and policies that people could attach themselves to. They would come not just from the parliamentary party but from the membership, as well as being open to policy initiatives from people outside the party as well.