Labour, FG launch manifestos as SF eyes petrol cost cut

Fine Gael and Labour have launched their respective General Election manifestos, while Sinn Féin has pledged to cut the price of petrol and diesel over the next five years as campaigning continues this weekend.

Under Labour's manifesto which was launched this lunchtime, parents would benefit from a full year of parental leave and a public childcare scheme.

The party pledged at least 30,000 public childcare places, with additional capital funding to build public crèches beside schools.

It would also take over from existing private providers if an operator decides to close their service.

As part of its "deal for working people" it pledges to ban unpaid internships and to abolish the lower rates of minimum wage that apply to young people.

It would ensure the national living wage is set at 60% of the median hourly earnings and a strengthening of gender pay gap rules to ensure employers also include part time workers.

Launching his party's policies, Fine Gael leader Simon Harris said their plan sets out to "secure Ireland's future" and pledged to tackle the cost of living.

Speaking at the launch alongside party colleagues Paschal Donohoe and Helen McEntee, Mr Harris said the policies strike a balance between making life a little easier for people, while also putting money away for any future shocks.

Among the proposals are a €1 billion investment in services including reducing waiting times for children with disabilities and additional needs, and reducing the cost of childcare.

Among the measures will be a so-called "Acorn Scheme". This would be a state contribution of €1,000 to a savings account for all newborn babies, and €1,500 to babies from less well-off families.

Parents would have the option of putting up to €2,000 per year into that account with an interest rate of 4%. Such a contribution would mean the account would reach €53,316 by the time the child turns 18.

Children would have to wait until they are 18 to access the account which the manifesto will describe as a "nest egg for the future."

Sinn Féin meanwhile is hosting an event focusing on the cost of living.

Party leader Mary Lou McDonald will also be canvassing in Dublin this afternoon.

Ms McDonald has promised to cut petrol and diesel prices over the next five years. She said their plans will see a €7 reduction on every tank of petrol.

She also promised to reverse two recent fuel hikes, adding that as the Government increased taxes on fuel, Ireland now has one the highest taxes in Europe on petrol and diesel.

She claimed Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have added €12 to a tank of fuel during the lifetime of their Government.

She also said that a Sinn Féin government would offset the toll increase due to come into effect in January at a cost of €8m.

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Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin is in Co Clare to canvass in what is a tight constituency.

Clare has no changes boundary-wise, but with confirmation yesterday at close of nominations yesterday that 20 names are going forward here to seek one of the four seats, the battle is ramping up.

Two of the four sitting TDs are not standing: Fine Gael's Joe Carey, and Independent Michael MacNamara who has become an MEP.

Aiming to fill the gaps here, Fianna Fáil is running three candidates in Clare.

Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman was out on the campaign trail in Dublin this morning.

He was joined by the party’s candidate in the Dublin Central constituency Neasa Hourigan in the Broadstone area, where they will be canvassing voters.

The Social Democrats will be holding an event outside the Department of Education to launch its policy on education.

The Social Democrats has promised to make primary and secondary education "genuinely free" if it is part of the next government.

At the launch of its policy on education outside the Department of Education in Dublin, the party said it would fully fund all school textbooks and remove the need for voluntary contributions.

The Social Democrats have pledged to phase out the student contribution charge and increase and SUSI grants at third level.

The party said it also wants a particular focus on the "mental wellbeing of students."

It said it will "aim for a situation where, by the end of one term of government, all schools will have at least one specialist emotional counsellor or therapist on staff."

Elsewhere, People Before Profit accused Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael of failing the women of Ireland.

The party used the launch of its Charter for Women and Gender Equality in Dublin to highlight that there are still nine counties without a safe refuge.

People Before Profit said it wants emergency funding for safe refuges and other services and a tripling of funding to provide a safe refuge in every county and for at least 472 places.

Councillor Hazel De Nortúin said the issue is "emblematic of how 100 years of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have failed women."

She said despite the gains made over the last century, "we still live in a deeply sexist society where women continue to face sexual harassment, abuse, violence and dismissal".

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín will be in Mayo to canvass with the party’s candidate Councillor Paul Lawless in Ballinrobe and in Claremorris this afternoon.