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Fianna Fáil targets pensions, tax cuts in manifesto

Micheál Martin published Fianna Fáil's manifesto in Smock Alley Theatre (Photo RollingNews.ie)
Micheál Martin published Fianna Fáil's manifesto in Smock Alley Theatre (Photo RollingNews.ie)

Fianna Fáil has published its election manifesto with a promise of an "ambitious, deliverable and sustainable" programme of policies.

Party leader Micheál Martin said it was time for delivery in government and an end to the "spin" he claimed characterised Fine Gael's almost decade in power.

The manifesto includes a promise to reinstate to 65 the qualification age for the State pension, as an interim measure. 

It said a Fianna Fáil government would increase the pension by €25 a week, over five years.

It also said it would increase the child care subsidy from €20 to €80 a week and extend maternity benefit from 26 to 30 weeks.

10 Key Points from the Fianna Fáil General Election manifesto

The party has pledged to target tax cuts "on ordinary working people", including a reduction of the Universal Social Charge (USC) rate from 4.5% to 3.5% over the next five years.

It has also pledged to increase the Standard Rate Income Tax band by €3,000 for a single person and €6,000 for a couple.

Fianna Fáil has also pledged to increase annual contributions to the Rainy Day Fund by €250m to bring the total annual contributions to €750m.

The 150-page policy document was unveiled in Dublin hours before Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar published his own party's manifesto.

"Ireland has many strengths, but we also face many challenges," Mr Martin said.

"The biggest of these is to make sure we have a country that serves all of its people."

The manifesto sets out how the party would use the €11bn of financial resource predicted to be available to the next government over a five-year term.

Fianna Fáil will hold back €1.2bn of that pot and will deploy a 4:1 investment to tax cuts ratio in spending the remaining €9.8bn.


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Main plans include:

  • An increase in the weekly childcare subsidy from €20 a week to €80
  • Reduction of capital gains tax from 33% to 25%
  • Increase the State pension by €5 a week
  • Abolishing prescription charges
  • Increasing garda numbers to 16,000
  • Deliver 50,000 new affordable homes and directly build 50,000 new social housing units

The plans also includes steps to help first time buyers and tackle hospital waiting times.