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Affordable Housing Programme
75,000 affordable homes on state land. Under €300,000 in Dublin. Under €260,000 elsewhere.
Hundreds of thousands of younger adults are stuck living in the family home, unable to move out and move on with their lives because they …
€1.3 billion/year + €290m capitalIndependent Anti-Corruption Agency
A single independent agency with powers to investigate, prosecute and prevent corruption.
Ireland does not have an effective means of preventing, investigating and prosecuting corruption. Even after costly and lengthy Tribunals of Inquiry there have been few …
Institutional reformA Public Model of Childcare
Childcare fees cut by €200/month immediately. Cap of €200/month by 2028.
Ireland has some of the highest childcare costs in Europe. Parents are paying more for childcare than for their mortgage. Many mothers are effectively working …
Phased to 2028300,000 Homes Including 125,000 Social and Affordable
300,000+ homes over 5 years. 125,000 social/affordable. Rent freeze. End homelessness by 2030.
Sinn Féin's housing plan is the most interventionist of the three large parties. It includes a rent freeze, an eviction ban, and 125,000 social and …
300,000 New Homes by 2030
300,000 homes by 2030. Help to Buy increased to €40,000. Rent tax credit to €1,500.
Fine Gael's housing plan centres on market-led delivery with state support for first-time buyers. The approach relies on tax incentives for buyers and landlords, with …
€40 billion total50,000 Homes Annually, Scaling to 60,000+
50,000 homes/year, scaling to 60,000+. State construction company via LDA. Phase out Help to Buy.
Labour's housing plan centres on transforming the Land Development Agency into a state construction company — the most structurally ambitious proposal after the Social Democrats.
50,000-53,000 Homes Yearly with Vacancy Focus
50,000-53,000 homes/year. 15,000 affordable/cost rental. 12,000 social. 4,000+ vacant renovated.
The Green Party's housing plan combines new builds with a strong emphasis on bringing vacant and derelict homes back into use — 4,000+ annually.
60,000 Homes Per Year by 2030
60,000 homes/year by 2030. 12,000 social homes/year. 2,000 Housing First tenancies.
Fianna Fáil promises to scale housing output to 60,000 homes per year — the most ambitious headline number of any party. The plan mixes state …
Rent Freeze and Eviction Ban
Rent freeze. Reinstate eviction ban. Renter's tax credit to €3,000.
People Before Profit focuses on immediate renter protections rather than large-scale building targets — rent freeze, eviction ban, and a tripled rent tax credit.
Reduce Childcare Fees to €200/Month
Childcare fees to €200/month.
Fine Gael commits to reducing childcare fees to €200 per month but provides limited detail on how a public model would be built.
Reduce Childcare Fees to €200/Month
Childcare fees to €200/month.
Fianna Fáil matches the €200/month target but, like Fine Gael, relies on subsidising private providers rather than building public capacity.
Universal Free Childcare
Universal free childcare.
People Before Profit is the only party proposing fully free childcare — the most radical position but with the least detail on implementation.
€10 Per Day Childcare
€10/day childcare. Include childminders. Public model long-term. €1.50/hr pay increase for workers.
Sinn Féin's €10/day plan is the most specific costing. They also commit to a public model, citing Denmark, Sweden and Canada as examples.
All-Ireland National Health System by 2035
All-Ireland NHS by 2035. Free prescriptions. Medical cards for incomes up to €45,000. 5,000 beds.
Sinn Féin's health plan is the most ambitious — a full public health system with free prescriptions, expanded medical cards, and 5,000 new hospital beds.
Health Service Evaluation and 5,000 Beds
Full health evaluation in Year 1. 5,000 inpatient beds by 2031. Recruit HSE-employed GPs.
Fine Gael promises a full health service evaluation in year one and 5,000 new inpatient beds by 2031 — but no commitment to completing Sláintecare.
Sláintecare Transition Fund
€1 billion Sláintecare fund. Free GP care for under-18s. 30,000 new health staff over 5 years.
Labour proposes a €1 billion Sláintecare Transition Fund from the Apple tax windfall — dedicated funding to actually implement the plan every party voted for.
€1 billion initialUniversal Healthcare (Sláintecare)
Fully implement Sláintecare. Free GP care for all. 10% of health budget to mental health by 2030.
In Ireland there is no legal right to healthcare. People are deemed 'eligible' based on income or age, but eligibility does not confer any right …
Workers' Rights and Fair Pay
Statutory right to union recognition. Living wage of €14.50/hour. End zero-hour contracts.
The share of national income going to workers has been declining for decades. As employment has become more precarious, the number of working poor is …
€300 in tax credits per workerEducation: Truly Free and Inclusive
Fully fund school books and transport. Cut third-level fees by €1,000. Specialist counsellor in every school.
Irish families spend hundreds of euro every year on so-called 'free' education - books, uniforms, transport, voluntary contributions. The Social Democrats would make primary and …
€1,000 fee cut + school funding packageClimate Action and Nature
€5 billion renewable energy investment. Solar panels on 500,000 homes. €1.5 billion Fair Transition Fund for farmers.
Ireland faces €8 billion in fines if we don't meet our international climate targets by 2030. We need a revised plan that's actually achievable and …
€5 billion40 Measures to Cut the Cost of Living
40 costed measures: freeze rents, cap childcare at €250/month, free GP care, €1 off-peak fares, solar panels on 500,000 homes.
Ireland is now the most expensive country in the EU after Luxembourg. The price of goods and services is 38% above the EU average. Once-off …
Digital Rights and AI Regulation
Domestic AI regulation framework. Joint Oireachtas Committee on AI. Digital rights protections.
Ireland hosts the European headquarters of most major tech companies but has been a weak regulator. As AI reshapes the economy, we need a framework …
Community Banking for Ireland
Full current account banking through credit unions and post offices. Debit cards and online banking for all.
Banks have abandoned rural Ireland. Post offices and credit unions are left without full banking capabilities. Germany has 400 community banks. Ireland has none. That …
Rural and Regional Development
Regional assemblies with real power. Community banking. Community-owned wind farms. Broadband and remote working hubs.
Rural Ireland has been left behind by decades of Dublin-centric policy. Towns are hollowed out, services are centralised away, and young people leave because there's …
Defence, Security and Positive Neutrality
Properly fund the Defence Forces. Protect military neutrality. Address the retention crisis.
Ireland's Defence Forces are underfunded, understaffed and under-equipped. Personnel are leaving faster than they can be recruited. Ireland's military neutrality is a core value, but …
Dignity and Security for Older People
Statutory right to homecare. State Pension linked to 34% of average wage. Commissioner for Ageing.
Older people built this country. They deserve more than a system that warehouses them in underfunded nursing homes or leaves them waiting months for home …
€15/week pension increase + Fuel AllowanceDisability: Rights, Inclusion and Funding
Full Minister for Disability. Weekly Cost of Disability payment. Rights-based approach. Multi-annual funding.
Disabled people in Ireland face a higher cost of living, chronic underfunding of services, and a system that treats them as an afterthought. The Social …
€20/week Cost of Disability paymentYouth: Investment, Voice and Opportunity
€150 sports/culture voucher for 6-18s. Free public transport for under-18s. €200 Culture Card for 18-24s.
Young people were left behind during the pandemic and community facilities have yet to catch up. Mental health services are overwhelmed, youth clubs are underfunded, …
Safe, Legal Migration and Integration
Safe legal migration pathways. End border externalisation. Direct provision reform. Integration supports.
Migration has the potential to benefit all of society. But across Europe, far-right elements exploit suffering to drag mainstream parties rightward. Ireland needs a humane, …
LGBTQI+ Rights and Equality
National Action Plan Against Hate Crimes. Gender-affirming healthcare. Legal recognition for non-binary people and trans parents.
Ireland made history with Marriage Equality in 2015, but we're now ranked 15th in Europe for LGBTQI+ rights. Gaps remain in healthcare, legal protections, and …
Northern Ireland, Good Friday Agreement and Irish Unity
Citizens' Assembly on Irish Unity. Protect the Good Friday Agreement. Engage with all communities North and South.
The Good Friday Agreement is the cornerstone of peace on this island. But it needs to be developed to reflect a changing society. Brexit has …
Transport as a Public Good
€1 off-peak fares. Free transport for under-18s. MetroLink and DART expansion. Double rural Local Link funding.
Ireland's public transport is underfunded, inconsistent, and increasingly privatised. Rural areas are almost entirely car-dependent. The Social Democrats would treat transport as a public good, …
Foreign Policy: Neutral, Engaged, Principled
Recognise Palestinian state. Protect neutrality. Meet 0.7% GNI aid target. International tax justice.
Ireland's voice on the world stage matters. From Palestine to Ukraine, from climate justice to tax fairness, a small country can punch above its weight …
Honest Politics and Better Government
Government Accountability Office. Reform of Ministers and Secretaries Act. End to wasteful vanity projects.
The National Children's Hospital went from €650m to over €2.2 billion and nobody was held accountable. Tribunals cost hundreds of millions and produced almost no …
Energy: Security, Affordability and Sustainability
Free solar panels for low-income homes. Double solar grants to €3,600. 80% renewable electricity by 2030. Net exporter of clean energy.
Ireland imports most of its energy, leaving households vulnerable to international price shocks. We need a homegrown energy revolution that cuts bills, creates jobs and …
€5 billion renewable investmentAn Ghaeilge: Protecting and Reviving Irish
Full implementation of 20-Year Strategy. Housing policy for Gaeltacht areas. Support Gaeilge communities nationwide.
The Irish language is a priceless socioeconomic and cultural asset, yet Gaeltacht communities face socioeconomic disadvantage and the number of daily speakers continues to decline. …
Mental Health: Funding, Access and Reform
10% of health budget to mental health by 2030. Fully staff CAMHS. Expand to age 25. Counsellor in every school.
Mental health funding is just 5.8% of the total health budget, despite a promise to reach 10%. CAMHS teams are understaffed. Waiting lists are growing. …
Ending Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Double refuge spaces. DSGBV Commissioner. Multi-annual funding for services. Coercive control training for legal professionals.
One in four women in Ireland will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Refuge spaces are woefully inadequate. The Social Democrats would double them and …
Clean Air: Cleanest in the World by 2035
Cleanest air in the world by 2035. Clean Air Zones in urban areas. Meet WHO 2021 guidelines. Robust Clean Air Act.
Air pollution kills more people than road accidents. Ireland's air quality in towns with solid fuel burning is among the worst in Europe. The Social …
12-Point Plan for Cycling
15% of transport budget for walking and cycling. Proper segregated infrastructure. Local cycling officers in every authority.
Ireland is far behind Europe on cycling. Our cities are congested, our infrastructure is dangerous, and successive governments have focused on moving cars instead of …
Drug Reform: Health, Not Criminalisation
Decriminalisation of personal use. Health-led approach. Tackle poverty and disadvantage as root causes.
The war on drugs has failed everywhere it's been tried. The WHO says there's no link between punitive enforcement and lower drug use. Ireland needs …
Arts, Culture and the Creative Sector
€200 Culture Voucher for 18-24s. Multi-annual arts funding. Night Mayors for cities. Special rates for creative spaces.
Every person in Ireland has a right to participate in arts and culture. Ireland's creative ecosystem delivers huge cultural and economic value, yet artists struggle …
Animal Welfare and Protection
Phase out state funding for greyhound racing. Ban live hare coursing. Increase animal welfare officers. Allow pets in rented housing.
Ireland lags behind much of Europe on animal welfare. Greyhound racing gets state funding while animal welfare charities are underfunded. The Social Democrats would phase …
Supporting Families: Leave, Poverty and Flexible Work
13 weeks paid parent's leave each. €350/week benefits. Eliminate child poverty by 2030. Right to flexible work.
Ireland lags behind other countries on paid leave, childcare and family supports. 188,000 children are living in poverty. The Social Democrats would ensure the first …
Positive Neutrality: Neutral But Not Passive
Retain military neutrality. Citizens' Assembly before any change. Enact Occupied Territories Bill. Reach 0.7% GNI aid target.
Ireland's military neutrality is a core national value, but neutrality doesn't mean silence or inaction. The Social Democrats believe in positive neutrality — an active …
A Plan for Dublin City
€200m for Dublin City Taskforce. Directly elected Mayor. Cultural Corridor. Above-the-shop living. Tackle dereliction with CPOs.
Dublin city centre has a dereliction problem, a vacancy problem, and a safety problem. The Social Democrats would ringfence €200 million to implement the Dublin …
€200 million initial