BREAKING: Catherine Murphy & Roisin Shortall Have Stepped Down As Soc Dems Co-Leaders

Wednesday, 22 February 2023 12:41

Announcement to be made this afternoon.

Roisin Shorthall and Kildare North TD Catherine Murphy have stepped down as co-leaders of the Social Democrats.

They are holding a press conference in Dublin this afternoon in Buswells Hotel.

Ms Murphy was first elected to Dáil in 2005, following a by-election in Kildare North.

She is both co-leader and co-founder of the Social Democrats and is party spokesperson on Justice, Enterprise, Trade and Employment as well as Transport.

Ms Shortall was first elected to the Dáil in 1992, in the Dublin North West constituency.

She is co-leader and co-founder of the Social Democrats, and is party spokesperson on Health, Finance, and Public Expenditure and Reform.

Previously, there were calls from within the party, for a leadership contest, with a letter signed by 16 party members which included councillors Cat O’Driscoll and Kildare-Newbridge MD's Chris Pender.

In response, a statement from the Social Democrats parliamentary party said it is “united behind co-leaders Catherine Murphy and Róisín Shortall”.

There is speculation as to who will run to replace both Shortall and Murphy, with some suggestion that Holly Cairns and Gary Gannon will put their names forward.

The other TDs within the party are Jennifer Whitmore and Cian O'Callaghan.

33 year Cork TD Holly Cairns is expected to become the next leader of the Social Democrats with party sources hopeful the transition will happen “within two weeks.”

"The time is right now to hand over the leadership reins of the party to the next generation of Social Democrats."

Róisín Shortall and Catherine Murphy have announced that they are stepping down as co-leaders of the Social Democrats | https://t.co/uOzHarPHtz pic.twitter.com/4coakMe5f6
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) February 22, 2023