Vote Green #1 on November 29th

Public transport has to be more affordable than driving. In Government, we cut public transport fares for the first time in 75 years. The climate ticket is the next step forward. We will reform the TaxSaver system into a Climate Ticket - simplifying pricing and offering unlimited travel on all forms of transport to encourage low-carbon commuting.

Pesticides, chemical fertilisers and unsustainable practices contribute to biodiversity loss and water pollution. These expensive inputs often put a strain on farmers’ incomes as well. Having tripled the area of agricultural land being farmed organically to 5% in Government, we will double it to 10% by 2030.

National parks safeguard habitats, protect endangered species and help more people enjoy the wonder of nature. We created the first new parks in 25 years and want to create more, as well as continuing to put the funding, staff and management plans in place to ensure our existing national parks thrive.

Governments need to enable a new culture of repair and reuse. This year, we brought in the Deposit Return Scheme to turn cans and plastic into vouchers. We now want to introduce a Repair Voucher Scheme, to cover part of the cost of fixing household items. This will be supported by a repair skills programme, creating a register to ensure only qualified people can provide the service.

We have huge plans in progress to create a world-class public transport system, but we can’t forget to get the basics right. The Green Party will create a new office in the National Transport Authority tasked with eliminating ghost buses and making sure public transport runs on time.

We launched a landmark forestry programme during this Government to address this. As that plan unfolds, we can turn more attention now to urban areas. Planting more trees in towns and cities will improve air quality, combat climate change and make urban spaces more livable.

Without enough interconnection to Europe, we can’t sell surplus clean energy to our neighbours. Having started construction on one with France, we will build four new interconnectors to the continent, allowing renewable energy to flow freely across Europe. We will turn Ireland into a renewable energy superpower.

We’ve made huge progress with domestic solar, removing red tape, scrapping VAT and paying people for the excess energy they can send back to the grid. The next step is to ensure every community can set up their own clean energy scheme. We will ensure that this can be done through a cooperative structure, including everyone in the benefits of the energy transition.

Flooding is going to be a major issue over the next decade. The Green Party will establish a single national agency to manage all forms of flooding, to prevent as much damage as possible, to work with people and businesses worst affected and to ensure a coordinated and faster response to these growing threats.

All too often, short-term decisions are made that might harm future generations, especially when it comes to environmental policies. A Future Generations Ombudsman would ensure that long-term impacts are considered in every major policy decision, protecting future generations.

Bringing vacant properties back into use is the perfect way to increase housing supply. It breathes life into run-down, derelict areas in our villages, towns, and cities with a much lower environmental impact. While great strides have been made in the last few years, more can be done.

We are rolling out remote working hubs and fibre broadband at breakneck speed - a playground, community garden, hangout spaces for teenagers, open shops on Main Street, public spaces where people gather, community centres with activities specifically for over 65s and other amenities that make life fulfilling no matter your age or where you live.

We want to target supports towards small family businesses and give them a full rebate on the rates charged by local authorities, providing immediate financial relief. We will also extend sick benefit to the self-employed and make sure small businesses are represented on the low pay commission and Labour Employer Economic Forum.

We will appoint a powerful Super-Junior Minister for the Regional Cities, responsible for the balanced development of our country. Their job will be to ensure that public capital investment is directed towards our regional cities, improving public transport, housing, and economic opportunities outside Dublin.

We need faster, cheaper, greener homes. With housing demand only increasing, new methods of construction can speed up delivery time by up to 60% while reducing materials and waste. We will scale up a domestic industry in Modern Methods of Construction, such as prefabricated and modular homes.

Loneliness is a hidden epidemic in Ireland, with effects on physical health comparable to smoking, obesity, and inactivity. We will appoint a Super-Junior Minister with responsibility for reducing loneliness and improving social connectivity.

Children with disabilities are often left out of spaces meant for everyone’s fun and development. Teenage girls often feel unsafe or uncomfortable in parks and public spaces. The Green Party will update the National Play Policy with a particular focus on creating inclusive play spaces for teenage girls and children with disabilities.

The reality of asylum movements in the 21st century demands abetter organised, more efficient and much better resourced State capacity. This can only be delivered by a dedicated Asylum and Integration Agency which will ensure all asylum requests are processed humanely, fairly and quickly.

We want to give all towns and cities with a population above 30,000 the power to decide whether they want a Directly Elected Mayor. Allowing every major town in Ireland to choose their mayor would give a louder voice to the people, and forge a stronger link between decision-making and direct accountability

Home energy upgrades have scaled up rapidly. More than half the money the Government spends to support these upgrades goes to those who can least afford the work otherwise. We will ramp this up by putting free solar panels on 200,000 low-income homes.

The best and fastest way for regional cities to grow is to put in new rail and bus infrastructure now and plan housing developments near stations and new routes. Local Link bus services and new suburban rail will will reduce car dependency, cut emissions and improve quality of life.

The Arts enrich our lives, forge community and sustain us through the most challenging of times. We will expand our pioneering Basic Income for the Arts scheme in the next Government to keep Ireland's proud artistic tradition thriving.

We will introduce a public model of childcare, where the State becomes a direct provider of early learning and care, alongside private and community services. We will guarantee world-class early education and care for every child in the state, no matter where they live.

Employers and employees are both looking for solutions to reduce burnout and improve productivity. A Citizen’s Assembly on transitioning to a 4-day work week would explore the benefits and challenges of this transformative change, seeking to make it a win-win solution for work-life balance.

We established Coimisiún na Meán, which introduced our first online safety code - setting out age verification and age assurance measures, backed up by tough penalties for non-compliance. We will continue this work and ensure robust age verification measures are implemented, so that children are protected from harmful content online.

Our ambition is to cut road deaths in half by 2030. We will achieve this by improving infrastructure, reforming the Road Safety Authority and better enforcing road safety laws. Lower speed limits and more speed cameras will reduce accidents, save lives, and make our communities safer for all.

Tackling crime is complex and a range of actions are needed, starting with preventative measures. But police numbers have been proven to reduce rates of violent crime. The total size of An Garda Síochána needs to grow by about 10% to reach the EU average.

The Green Party will implement a comprehensive e-health strategy to streamline services, reduce administrative burdens, and make healthcare more accessible.
From patient-focused apps and reformed data collection to cohesive IT systems, this will free up frontline doctors, nurses, and therapists to focus on what they do best.

The Green Party has led several pieces of legislation to protect domestic violence victims in the courts, but the Government needs to go further to protect them in place. We will provide 675 refuge spaces by 2030, with a focus on the nine counties that currently have no provision.

We will build on the €325 per week basic income for artists trial and bring in a basic income for all carers. This will relieve stress and help break the cycle of poverty that care provision can bring. It is past time that we recognise the role carers play in society and give this role the weight it deserves.

We will expand community sanctions and models of restorative justice which offer the multiple benefits of lowering the numbers in our prisons, reducing levels of recidivism and helping victims overcome a common sense of powerlessness.

The Green Party will support international efforts to introduce a minimum effective taxation standard for the ultra-wealthy, ensuring they contribute fairly to public services. This will create a fairer tax system and provide critical funding for health, education, and climate initiatives.

We will put people at the heart of drugs policy. Criminalising people in addiction only deepens and complicates the crisis. We should legalise and regulate certain drugs. We need to invest to support the families, children and communities who suffer alongside those suffering from addiction.

We believe that a shared island, built on respect and tolerance, has the potential to provide real benefits to people across many aspects of life. We are committed to inclusive dialogue in shaping shared island policy, safeguarding the rights of all groups and ensuring their active participation in the process.