Today marks the 10th day of the 2024 general election campaign and the deadline for the nomination of candidates has passed. A record number of women are among the more than 600 candidates estimated to be on the ballot paper across the State’s 43 constituencies.
The next deadline, for the withdrawal of candidates, is tomorrow. This is the first election where political parties must reach a 40 per cent gender quota, or risk losing half their State funding.
Fine Gael and Labour are launching their election manifestos today after most of the parties unveiled theirs earlier this week.
Candidates and canvassers gathered at the launch of the Fine Gael manifesto which promised significant tax cuts, a new Department of Infrastructure and a €1,000 savings grant to every newborn baby.
The Labour Party also launches its manifesto today, which includes a promise to extend free GP care to all children under 18. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald will be canvassing in Dublin on Sunday afternoon as well.
Key Reads
- Meet The Irish Times election reader panel
- Irish Times poll: Voters prefer Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael Coalition
- Message from the Editor: Election campaign to enter new phase after blizzard of promises
- Pat Leahy: Someone should take Simon Harris’s phone away before he bankrupts the country
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said crime in parts of the country is presenting “significant challenges” and that there has been “an increase in aggression and an increase around retail theft”.
Speaking on RTÉ's This Week programme, the minister said Fine Gael was proposing to create a “stand-alone offence for assaulting a retailer”.
“We want to say this will be a stronger, heavier penalty if you commit this type of crime.”
“What we know is about 40% of retail crime is committed by 8-9% of people. If you target those people, you’re automatically able to take a large percentage out of the equation.”
Main promises made by Fine Gael in their election manifesto, launched today
Read Irish Times political correspondent Harry McGee’s full report from the manifesto launch in Co Tipperary here
- A child savings fund of €1,000 for every newborn child.
- A New Department of Infrastructure. Fine Gael will merge the Department of Transport and the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Communications, as well as the infrastructure part of the Department of Public Expenditure. The OPW will be subsumed into the new Department except for the National Monuments Service which will move to the Department of Housing. A special team reporting to Cabinet will have responsibility for ‘mega projects’ those worth over €100 million.
- Increase the higher tax threshold by €2,000 each year for five years, so by 2030 so the higher tax rate threshold will be €54,000. The cost of this will be one €2.5 billion.
- Tax credits will be increased by an additional €750 by 2030.
- The new exemption for inheritance tax for children inheriting from parents will be increased to €500,000
- The help-to-buy scheme will be extended until 2030.
- Electricity and gas VAT will be reduced from 13.5 per cent to 11 per cent. Food and catering business will be subject to a lower date of 11 per cent
- State pension will be increased by €12 each year, or €60 over five years, at an overall cost to the Exchequer of €2.4 billion.
- Ease out student fees over five years.
- Commitment to build 300,000 new homes over five years.
- On immigration, Fine Gael has committed to building designated centres which will facilitate expedited processing for individuals from safe countries or those arriving with no, or false, documents. Appeals and removals completed within 90 days. It also proposes a dedicated division of the High Court to handle immigration cases.
- Asylum seekers will be required to contribute to their accommodation costs. The party will put an end to the emergency use of hotels if in Government.
- On health, it has promised 5,000 new inpatient beds by 2031. It has proposed six new surgical hubs, in Cork, Galway, Waterford, Limerick and Dublin (two).
Fine Gael launches election manifesto
Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris has launched his party’s manifesto for what it plans to change, if elected back into Government. The main points include:
- A child savings account from birth with State contribution of €1,000, or €1,500 for lower-income families
- €40 billion investment in the delivery of 300,000 new homes by 2030
- The recruitment of 6,000 additional gardaí and the roll-out of body-worn cameras and facial- recognition technology.
- €1 billion investment in increasing services and reducing waiting lists for children with disabilities and special educational needs, and reducing the cost of childcare
- A new Department of Infrastructure, Climate & Transport
Oxfam Ireland has rolled out its general election manifesto, calling on the Government to introduce fairer wealth taxation, measures to address inequality and to improve climate justice at home and abroad.
Oxfam has proposed a 1.5 per cent wealth tax on those with net wealth over €4.6 million, which it says would fund healthcare, education and climate resilience, while reducing the strain on low and middle-income citizens. It also notes that Ireland’s current climate action plans are insufficient to meet the 2030 targets.
The Occupied Territories Bill must be passed “as soon as possible” and the Government should also work to “suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement on trade, fund local aid organisations, and promote infrastructure rebuilding”, says the Oxfam manifesto.
“Oxfam’s vision goes beyond Ireland,” said Jim Clarken, chief executive of Oxfam Ireland. “By implementing these policies and collaborating with other nations on global tax and climate solutions, Ireland can become a beacon of fairness and responsibility, showing that meaningful change is possible when governments lead with compassion and justice.”
Meet The Irish Times voter panel for General Election 2024
The Irish Times has assembled a panel of 11 readers, drawn from across the State and from a cross-section of age groups, to discuss the general election campaign. They were selected after responding to a call-out and have been interviewed twice by editors and reporters to get a picture of their background and attitudes to politics. All say they are certain to vote on November 29th.
While they are not selected to be absolutely representative of the population as a whole, they come from a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives.
Some of the panel found the election campaign lacklustre, with the barrage of promises from politicians leaving them unimpressed. One participant said it felt like they were being “bribed with our own money”.
Many on the panel expressed frustration at what they believe is a lack of long-term planning, or a longer-term vision, for Ireland’s future needs. One member said: “there isn’t a single party that has presented a vision for what Ireland could be in 10 years’ time. It is all very short-term. ”“
You can read more about their thoughts on the upcoming general election here.
Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea has posted a video on X saying Helen McEntee is “the worst Minister for Justice in the history of the State”. His comments come less than a year after he voted that he had confidence in Ms McEntee in a vote of no confidence, tabled by Sinn Féin in December 2023. The Minister won the Dáil confidence vote by 83 votes to 63.
The Women for Election campaign group has said 248 women are running in the election, the largest number and an increase of 53 per cent on the total that went forward in 2020. In the outgoing Dáil, there were just 37 women TDs out of 160 (23 per cent).
“With Ireland 104th in the world for the number of women in parliament, it is really good news for the health of our democracy that so many women are stepping forward to stand for election, seeking to represent their communities, and to bring their voices and experiences to the Dáil”, said Brian Sheehan, chief executive of Women for Election.
