Susan Doyle is the Social Democrats candidate for Ireland South in the 2024 European Parliament Elections. She aims to build a better and fairer Ireland and EU, drawing on her extensive experience as a human rights solicitor.
Susan Doyle is a mother of two primary school children and a solicitor based in Douglas. Her practice focuses on disability rights, housing, immigration, and discrimination.
She has dedicated her career to advocating for vulnerable community members, striving for improved services and resources.
Doyle believes the EU has significant potential to address critical issues such as disability rights, climate action, migrant rights, and housing. However, she feels this potential is not being fully realized due to a lack of strong social democratic representation.
If elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Doyle pledges to Work tirelessly for the people of Ireland South, Stand up to vested interests, Defend the rights of vulnerable community members, Utilize all available means to represent Ireland South's interests. Doyle emphasizes the need for change in both Ireland and the EU, viewing the upcoming election as an opportunity to deliver this change.
Susan Doyle's key priorities include Utilizing EU institutions and funding to address the housing crisis, Advocating for trade sanctions and an arms sale ban on Israel, Supporting urgent climate action and ensuring a fair transition for farmers and fishers. Centering disability rights within the EU, Promoting an inclusive and welcoming EU and Ireland, rejecting hate and division, Defending Irish neutrality against potential militarization.
Candidate for Cork City South East: Susan Doyle is also running as the Social Democrats Local Election Candidate for Cork City South East. Her local campaign focuses on addressing issues she has encountered through her legal practice and advocating for meaningful change.
Doyle's goals for the local election include improving access to housing in both private and rental markets and ensuring adequate housing for those eligible for social housing. She also aims to enhance disability and mental health services in Cork and improve local security and amenities.
Doyle joined the Social Democrats to advocate for an inclusive and fair society, believing that significant changes can be made at the local level. She is committed to fighting for better housing, disability and mental health services, and improved public services and amenities.
Susan Doyle's key priorities for Cork City South East include Promoting an inclusive, fair, and just society with affordable housing as a priority, Enhancing access to essential services such as GPs, mental health services, disability services, Gardaí, and fire services. Improving local amenities, including parks, recycling facilities, playgrounds, sports facilities, a swimming pool, and recreational areas for Mahon, Blackrock, Douglas, and Rochestown, Regenerating derelict buildings and vacant sites, Increasing public transport services to better connect towns and villages.
The Social Democrats, established on July 15, 2015, by Catherine Murphy, Róisín Shortall, and Stephen Donnelly, is a center-left social democratic party in Ireland. The party promotes the Nordic model and is pro-European, advocating for an inclusive, fair, and just Ireland where dignity, respect, and equality of outcome are paramount.
Under the leadership of Holly Cairns, the party seeks to offer transformative change through social democracy, emphasizing the importance of strong public services and economic systems that ensure societal well-being.
The Social Democrats aim to build a "republic of equals" that is rights-based and pluralistic with a clear separation between Church and State. They focus on providing high-quality public services in housing, healthcare, education, and other areas, which are universally accessible to promote equality and sustainability.
A strong and vibrant economy is seen as essential to a strong society. The party supports robust workers' rights and a stable, progressive tax base.
They stress the need for an economy that not only grows but also distributes its benefits fairly across all sections of society.
The Social Democrats propose transformative changes in the housing sector to address affordability and accessibility. They plan to build 22,000 social and affordable homes annually and implement measures like better security for renters and a ban on no-fault evictions.
The party was instrumental in creating the Sláintecare proposal, which aims for a health system that is accessible and free at the point of use. They advocate for a comprehensive implementation of this model to improve primary care services and increase hospital capacity.
Addressing Ireland's high cost of living is a priority. The Social Democrats plan to make public services more affordable and tackle the high costs of essentials like housing, healthcare, and education, reducing the financial burden on families and businesses.
The Social Democrats recognize the urgency of climate action and propose a €5 billion climate transformation fund to invest in renewable energy and a €1.5 billion fair transition fund for farmers and rural communities. They emphasize the need for ambitious, large-scale structural changes to avert a climate catastrophe.
The party pledges to sign the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and focus on comprehensive reforms to improve the quality of life and independence of disabled people.
To combat corruption and ensure accountability, the Social Democrats propose the creation of an Independent Anti-Corruption Agency (IACA). They seek to increase transparency and integrity in politics and public administration, moving away from 'golden circle' politics.
The Social Democrats are committed to changing the landscape of Irish politics through active engagement in the Dáil and local governments. They aim to challenge the status quo with new ideas and genuine change, distancing themselves from the traditional politics of old loyalties and policies.