Permanently reduced public transport fares, a tax on private jets and a “fairer” retrofitting plan targeted at low- and middle-income households will all feature in Sinn Féin’s alternative budget proposals as it seeks to make climate action a priority.
Housing is expected to be the party’s main focus in the proposals to be unveiled today, with measures designed to encourage the building of more affordable homes.
Health will also be a central theme with an aim of reducing waiting lists while cost-of-living measures will include tax cuts for people earning under €100,000.
However, Sinn Féin will also seek to burnish its climate action credentials – often attacked by the Government – as Mary Lou McDonald’s party makes it one of the investment priorities in its alternative budget.
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Ms McDonald is to announce the party’s proposals today alongside finance spokesman Pearse Doherty and housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin.
The Irish Times understands that climate action measures include making the current 20 per cent reduction in public transport fares – due to expire at the end of the year – permanent, as well as offering reduced fares for young people.
Sinn Féin also proposes to tax the use of private jets with revenue of €18 million a year expected to be generated from the measure.
The party would bring in what sources described as “a fairer retrofitting plan” with Sinn Féin expected to argue that the existing Government schemes are “inequitable and regressive”.
Some €100 million would be spent on replacing the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme with a new retrofit scheme for low- and middle-income households.
There would be a “tiered retrofit support scheme” for higher income homes.
Sinn Féin is also expected to say it would invest more in solar panels for homes and schools, including a dedicated fund to install the technology on local authority housing.
Investment in Ireland’s ports to facilitate offshore wind development and a dedicated fund to encourage innovation in renewable energy are also included in Sinn Féin’s climate action proposals.
Meanwhile, the Social Democrats are expected to focus on children, housing and climate action in the party’s alternative budget, also due to be published today.
Measures are understood to include a proposal to build 10,000 affordable homes per year and to increase the rent tax credit to €1,100, which amounts to a month’s rent for many tenants.
There is also a proposal to increase paid parental leave so that it covers the first 12 months of a child’s life and to increase the rate of maternity, paternity and parental benefit to €350 per week, up from €262.
The party also has an ambition to abolish child poverty by creating a new Deis-plus programme for preschool, primary and secondary schools in the most disadvantaged areas and increasing targeted payments to vulnerable children by 30 per cent.
The Social Democrats would also spend a large chunk of the State’s surplus on a €5 billion climate transformation fund; they would set up a new semi-State company to invest in offshore wind; and more than double the grant for solar panels.
