News Story

Social Democrats TD Eoin Hayes is not in hiding, the party said, as it defended his absence from a press conference in his constituency.

His lack of attendance at a media opportunity in Dublin City dominated the questions faced by his deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan at the start of the Social Democrats parliamentary party think-in on Tuesday.

Mr Hayes has been at the heart of several controversies since being elected as a TD for Dublin Bay South in 2024.

Most recently, it was reported by The Ditch last week that the TD had previously cited his experience co-leading a team executing an approximately 40% reduction in headcount at a company on a recruitment website.

Asked if Mr Hayes was in hiding, Mr O’Callaghan told reporters: “He’s not. He’ll be along later. We don’t have the full parliamentary party here.”

Liam Quaide TD, Aidan Farrelly TD, and Senator Patricia Stephenson were also not present for the press conference but had arrived to the building by the time it had ended.

Party leader Holly Cairns was absent due to illness.

Asked if the party would run Mr Hayes in the next election, Mr O’Callaghan said he would and contended that the TD “does engage” with the media and “will continue to do so”.

Challenged to explain when the TD had been made available to the media, the party deputy leader said he “frequently issues statements”.

Pressed on whether Mr Hayes would be available for comment at the think-in or during the week, Mr O’Callaghan said: “I’m sure he’s going to be engaging with the media over the over the coming Dáil term.”

Asked if it was embarrassing his social protection spokesman had cited work in headcount reduction, Mr O’Callaghan said: “Look, he’s clarified that the role that he played was the financial modelling.

“He was asked to do that role. He carried out that role.

“He didn’t have a role in any decision making in relation to anyone that was let go.”

Mr O’Callaghan said Mr Hayes would not be let go from his role as social protection spokesman.

Last year, Mr Hayes apologised after it emerged he wore blackface make-up as part of a Barack Obama costume at a Halloween party 17 years ago.

He was not present at the parliamentary party think-in last year following the revelation.

Pictures of the incident emerged shortly after he was readmitted to the parliamentary party following a previous controversy.

The Social Democrats won 11 seats in 2024 but he was indefinitely suspended from the parliamentary party in December, just a month after being elected.

It came after he gave incorrect statements about shares he held in a company linked to the Israeli military.

He had initially told the media and his party colleagues that he divested shares in his former employer, Palantir Technologies, before being elected to Dublin City Council last June.

But he later disclosed that he sold the shares after taking office for a pre-tax figure of 199,000 euro.

The Social Democrats had been calling for economic sanctions against Israel months before Mr Hayes’s election to the council.