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With just over a week and a half left until polling day, the cross-party attacks continued following Sinn Féin’s unveiling of its general election manifesto yesterday.
The party’s manifesto promises to spend an extra €56 billion – made up of additional €41.8 billion capital spend and an additional €14.3 billion in current spending – over the next five years.
Sinn Féin denied claims it is planning a €16 billion “piggy bank heist” as Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil rounded on the party’s tax and spending plans.
Fine Gael Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe accused Sinn Féin of narrowing the tax base to such an extent that tax receipts would fall away.
Mary Lou McDonald has also defended her plans for a review of RTÉ’s coverage of the conflict in the Middle East.
Marie O’Halloran reports from the launch of Fianna Fáil’s election pledges on disability:
Fianna Fáil will establish a new directorate in the department of Health “to coordinate activity across government and drive forward implementation of the plan that we are launching today”, Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said at the launch of the party’s plan to support people with disabilities.
“This is a serious plan for serious reform” in a sector where too many people “are not getting the quality of support they deserve”.
The plan will increase third level training places for speech and language and occupational therapy students as part of its plan to support people with disabilities. It will also increase investment in adult day services to €27 million a year as part of its plan to support people with a disability. The party promises to put the disability support grant on a permanent footing and increase it incrementally to €1,000 a year.
It’s election pledges also include extending the Aim (Access and Inclusion Model) programme supports to all children with a disability up to three years of age in childcare, similar to existing provisions for three to Six-year-olds.
Eamon Ryan is in Baku for Cop29, where an international assessment of Ireland’s response to climate change has backed the case for a moratorium on data centres. Read environment editor Kevin O’Sullivan’s report here
Kevin was also talking to outgoing Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan, who had this election-tinged take to share:
If you want to know how Gerard Hutch got his nickname and what it has to do with our own Harry McGee, take a listen to Election Daily:
Prime Time was in Kilkenny last night for a debate between candidates in the region.
The Tonight Show on Virgin Media held a debate on childcare last night – here’s how they teed up the section. More clips of the political contributions are available on their X account.
Friends of the Earth Ireland is hosting climate hustings in Dublin today – if you’re so inclined, proceedings can be followed LIVE here:
Top notch election trail swag being distributed by Danny Healy-Rae in Kerry. Although a Danny-branded Nokia 5110 would be the ultimate prize.
Ruh roh. The Americans have spotted us again.
That icy finger of dread on the shoulder of Ireland inc isn’t just this morning’s frost – Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of commerce also looks like he might have a chilling effect. Here’s what he thinks of Ireland and Apple – expect this to be a feature on the campaign trail today.
Read more of our coverage here
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