The incoming coalition of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, supported by Independents, have published a plan that aims to keep their government in place for five years.
A 160-page Programme for Government document was published this afternoon.
It says that the coalition has “come together in partnership to form a stable majority to deliver an ambitious programme and five budgets”.
Here are just some of the key points from the lengthy planning document.
Pledge to see 300,000 homes built by the end of 2030
Target to create 300,000 extra jobs by 2030
Promise to progress legislation prohibiting goods from Occupied Palestinian Territories
Pledge to “progressively reduce” childcare to €200 a month per child through the National Childcare Scheme
Cut the pupil teacher ratio to 19:1 in primary schools over the lifetime of the government
Security force, with similar powers to the Airport Police, to be established for public transport
Improved grants for home retrofitting to help homeowners enhance their energy efficiency and reduce energy costs
Pledge to phase out the means test for carers over the next five years
The State pension age will stay at 66
Responsibility for international protection accommodation and integration to fall under the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration
Aim to ‘work with school leaders to ensure schools are smartphone-free zones‘
Plan for free GP services to be extended to children up to at least 12 years
Free period products to be provided in schools “to ensure no student is held back due to period poverty”
Commitment to work with stakeholders to tackle algorithms that push harmful content into the feeds of social media users
A “health-led approach to drug addiction” with a plan to divert those found in possession of drugs for personal use to health services
Hospital bed capacity to be increased by between 4,000 and 4,500 new and refurbished beds
Commitment to open the new National Children’s Hospital and build the new National Maternity Hospital, however no dates are set out
Undertaking to legislate for a ‘Right to be Forgotten’ for cancer survivors, requiring “insurers to disregard a cancer diagnosis where treatment ended more than seven years prior to application”
Register of rental prices planned to protect tenants and landlords from abusive practices
The Programme for Government states that it will work to ensure that Ireland is the most secure location for data storage, management, and services within the EU
Tourism drive called ‘the Year of the Invitation planned, which is described as “a global invitation for visitors to reconnect with Ireland”
Next Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, to stay in office until 16 November, 2027 before the role rotates to the Fine Gael leader Simon Harris
