PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT have strongly criticised the Social Democrats for readmitting suspended TD Eoin Hayes to its parliamentary party.

A spokesperson for the Social Democrats announced yesterday evening that Hayes, who has been on suspension for eight months, has been brought back into the fold by acting leader of the party Cian O’Callaghan.

Hayes lost the whip on 10 December, 2024, when he provided incorrect information to the media about the sale of shares in Palantir Technologies, his former employer.

Palantir provides militaries, including the Israeli Defence Forces, with artificial intelligence models used in battlegrounds to help identify targets.

Its software has been used by Israel to identify targets in Gaza.

In February of this year, a review carried out by the national executive of the Social Democrats endorsed the decision to suspend Hayes “indefinitely” from the parliamentary party.

However, in yesterday’s statement, O’Callaghan remarked that Hayes has been suspended from the parliamentary party for close to eight months and that he “should be given a second chance”.

Meanwhile, Hayes offered a “full and unequivocal apology for giving the incorrect information to the media about when I divested from Palantir”.

Hayes said he has donated $51,000 to three humanitarian organisations active in Gaza – split between, UNRWA, Unicef and Doctors without Borders.

This evening, People Before Profit condemned the Social Democrats for what it said was a decision “cynically announced late.. to minimise scrutiny” to readmit the Dublin Bay South TD.

The party said that Hayes was “rightly suspended” over his profits and incorrect information regarding his divestment from Palantir.

“When confronted at a press conference in December, Hayes refused to answer 23 direct questions from journalists on when and how he sold his shares,” the statement continued.

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It said that the Social Democrats have offered “no transparency” on the matter and that by readmitting Hayes, it sends a message that “ethical standards, public trust and Palestinian solidarity are less of a priority than seats in the Dáil and points in opinion polls.”

People Before Profit’s Councillor Conor Reddy said that it was his view that many people who voted for the Social Democrats will be “deeply uncomfortable” at Hayes’s return to the party, having voted “because they thought [the Social Democrats] were different”.

“Palestine solidarity is not a fashion accessory for election season. It is a test of political integrity and the Social Democrats have failed that test in this case,” the statement concluded.

“People Before Profit called for Eoin Hayes to resign in December. We reiterate that call today.”