| Description | The Social Democrats is a political party in the Republic of Ireland. The party was launched on 15 July 2015 by three independent TDs, Stephen Donnelly, Catherine Murphy, and Róisín Shortall, who will share leadership of the party until after the next general election.
History
From its foundation, the Social Democrats is led by three TDs. Shortall is a former Labour Party TD and former Minister of State for Primary Care. Murphy is also a former member of the Workers' Party, Democratic Left, and the Labour Party before being elected as an independent TD in 2005. Donnelly first entered politics as an independent TD in the 2011 general election having previously worked as a consultant for McKinsey and Company.
On 4 September 2015, the party unveiled five election candidates including ex-Labour Party Senator James Heffernan and Dublin City Councillor Gary Gannon. The list also includes Niall Ó Tuathail (Galway), Sarah Jane Henley (Limerick) and Anne Marie McNally (Dublin).
Ideology
At its founding, the three TDs stated their support for the Nordic model of social democracy, backed the repeal of the Eighth Amendment and Official Secrets Act, and stated their opposition to domestic water charges. |
