Four-day working week part of Social Democrats plan for 'cohesive society'
Affordable homes, better supports for parents and a fairer and more equal society are among the promises in the Social Democrats manifesto.
A four-day working week, a clampdown on land hoarding and the full implementation of health reforms under Sláintecare are also among the party's election pledges.
Co-leader Roisin Shortall said the party, with its proposals, wants a “cohesive society that is fair and works well”.
Ms Shortall said there are “proven models in Nordic countries” that could be recreated in Ireland, by prioritising big issues such as health, housing, work and life balance issues as well as transport.
Catherine Murphy, the other co-leader, outlined the party strategy, explaining: “Too often in Ireland we have settled for second best – public services which are not the quality they should be.
"As social democrats, we fundamentally believe that meaningful strategic investment in public services is the best way to put real money back in people’s pockets on a daily basis by ensuring they don’t have to fork out for the basic services the State should provide such as health, childcare, affordable homes.
"This manifesto sets out a very clear, practical, path to deliver such a society.”
The party manifesto touches on a broad range of areas and outlines big proposed changes for the workplace, the corporate sector, ways to reform the health service and above all ideas to try and fix the housing crisis and end homelessness.
A key part of its manifesto is increasing childcare measures, including an extension of parental leave which would ensure parents can access paid leave for the first full year of a child's life.
The first six months would remain as it is as maternity leave, but there would be a further six months which could be shared between the parents.
Ireland is bottom of the league in regards to supporting new parents, said Ms Shortall.
The average parental leave across Europe is 100 weeks, she added.
The Social Democrats is also proposing an early years payment of around €50 a month, as a starting amount.
There will also be a clampdown on banks writing off their tax payments because of previous losses. A new sunset clause would be introduced to stop this, explained Ms Murphy.
"We bailed out the banks and the idea that they can get away with not contributing is immoral," she said, adding that the same move had been introduced by the Comptroller and Auditor General in Britain.
Housing reforms and supports are another main part of its manifesto, with promises to build some 100,000 new homes over the lifetime of the next Dáil, by beefing up the role of the land development agency.
Affordable homes under the plan could see average mortgages of around €800 a month, the party said at its launch. A nationwide rent freeze would also be introduced until housing supply increased and housing costs came down.
The Social Democrats is running 20 candidates in the election and says it hopes to improve upon their existing two Dáil seats to a possible return between five and eight TDs.
Social Democrats on...
- Ensure farmers get a fair price for their produce. Tackle cartel-like practices in beef processing sector. Help small businesses compete by removing below-sale costs.
- A fairer and simpler CAP to help support low-income farmers.
- Boost funding for disadvantaged farmers and launch initiatives to reduce mental health issues in rural areas.
- Educate to prevent farm accidents, support apiculture as well as the diversification of the forest industry.
- Support workers in carbon intensive industries to transition to new jobs. Ringfence funds from carbon taxes to fund retrofitting homes.
- Establish an offshore wind development agency, a marine spatial plan, grants for solar installation and build more biogas facilities.
- A new environmental levy on sand, gravel and stone used in construction.
- Uphold the ban on fracking, phase out offshore drilling for oil and gas and expand retrofitting grant schemes.
- Levies on plastics and non-recyclables.
- Use public lands to deliver an actual build of 100,000 homes over the next five years.
- Affordable homes with mortgages of €800 a month.
- Introduce a nationwide rent freeze until an increase in housing supply drives down costs.
- Scrap all taxes for REITS and 'Cuckoo' funds and legislate to stop land hoarding.
- Eradicate homelessness in the next Dáil.
- Ensure 20% of housing in developments go to affordable homes to buy or rent.
- Replace vacant site levy with a tax on land hoarding.
- Use corporation taxes to fund projects such as Dart Underground.
- Improve cycling incentive tax schemes.
- Reinstate the tax relief for trade union subscriptions.
- Introduce a statutory living wage and negotiate a new public pay deal.
- End discrimination against new entrants in public sector and discourage two-tier pay scales in private sector.
- Further reduce gender pay gaps.
- Further taxes on tobacco, alcohol and banks
- Invest heavily in community policing.
- Maintain special criminal court to fight gangs.
- Free up gardaí for the streets with more civilian staff.
- Hire, train and empower gardai to battle white collar crime.
- Invest in youth facilities to prevent crime, prosecute adults who groom children for crime and strengthen joint policing committees.
- Introduce hate crime and speech laws.
- Develop a plan against racism and end direct provision.
- Improve supports for victims of violence
- Abolish home care waiting lists.
- Invest in primary care services, phased extension of free GP care.
- Additional supports and assistant hours for people with disabilities.
- Additional funds for mental health, addiction services and maternity services.
- Full access to abortion care and medicinal cannabis.
- Reduce prescription and inpatient charges and implement Sláintecare in full.
- Set up a commission to examine flexi-work and a four-day working week.
- Additional paid parental leave and childcare supports
