Political parties are publishing a range of policy papers as their leaders continue to campaign across the country ahead of the General Election.
Independent candidates will also be explaining their policies to the electorate, on what is the third full day of campaigning.
Polling takes place on Friday 29 November.
The measure is contained in the party's General Election manifesto 'Moving Forward Together', which was launched this morning.
It is the first party to publish its full manifesto.
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On education, Fianna Fáil said it wants to reduce class sizes with a target of one teacher for every 19 pupils, fund the re-instating of on-site therapies in schools for children with additional needs.
It said it will also create a small schools scheme so the 1,300 small schools can share resources. It said it will increase the SUSI grant for third level and introduce a €500 grant for students on mandatory work placement and it will introduce laws to require internet companies to verify a user's age, and other anti-bullying measures.
Party leader Micheál Martin is due to campaign in Co Louth and Co Meath after the launch.
FG commits to using €10bn Apple tax money on housing
Elsewhere, Fine Gael leader Simon Harris has committed to use €10 billion of Apple tax money to address the housing crisis.
The remaining €4bn of Apple's funds will be used for energy, water and transport under Fine Gael's plans.
The party has promised to spend €40bn on housing overall, with the first €6bn being allocated next year.
Fine Gael said it hopes to build 41,000 homes next year and to increase annual housing output to reach 60,000 in 2030 and committed to construct 300,000 homes over the next five years.
Under its plans, the State would be supporting 53% of all new housing.
The party plans to raise the ceiling of the Help to Buy scheme, which allows people to reclaim tax paid in the past towards a house deposit, from €30,000 to €40,000.
It also plans to widen the use of First Homes scheme, where the State takes a stake in a first time buyer's property, to include second hand homes.
Fine Gael said it will increase the geographic spread of the affordable purchase scheme.
The party also plans to increase the tax credit for renters from its current level of €1,000 per renter to €1,500.
Some €5bn will be set aside for the Land Development Agency and the Housing Finance Agency.
At a press conference led by Mr Harris and Paschal Donohoe, the party said that the €10bn of Apple tax money was included in the overall spend of €40bn.
In the past, economists have warned that allocating the Apple money into the housing sector could result in higher prices as the number of workers in construction has remained flat over recent years.
However, Mr Donohoe said that the party intended for housing numbers to increase to 60,000 over six years.
He added that the party wanted greater use of the apprenticeships to address issues about the number of workers in construction.
He also said there would be more workers moving from building offices to residential.
Mr Harris also said despite the largest allocation of social homes last year the numbers of homeless people had not fallen and said "we have to look how we allocate homes".
Sinn Féin unveils USC plan at candidate launch
Sinn Féin hosted its candidate launch in Dublin this morning, with 71 people running for the party.
During the event, the party focused on its plans to abolish the Universal Social Charge for the first €45,000 of people's incomes.
Sinn Féin hosts its candidate launch in Dublin this morning under the banner of "Time to change the Government"
— Tommy Meskill (@TommyMeskill) November 11, 2024
It's also used the opportunity to focus on plans to abolish USC on first €45k of people’s earnings @rtenews pic.twitter.com/JrrXBjUoKZ
Sinn Féin estimates that the measure will benefit two million workers and will cost €1.8 billion.
In order to help pay for the measure, party leader Mary Lou McDonald reiterated that there will be an increase in tax for those earning over €140,000.
It will take two years to fully implement the abolition of USC for average workers, the party said.
USC will be abolished for the first €30,000 of earnings in 2025 in the first instance. It will increase to €45,000 in 2026.
Later, Ms McDonald will travel to Co Monaghan and Co Meath where she will campaign with local candidates.
Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman will also be canvassing in the Dublin South Central constituency, supporting candidate Patrick Costello's bid to secure re-election.
The Labour Party leader, Ivana Bacik, will also be campaigning in the Dublin South-Central constituency, with her party's candidate Cllr Darragh Moriarty.
The Social Democrats meanwhile have announced they would establish a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) within the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General to address what they describe as the outgoing Government's wanton waste of public money.
The measure is one of the party's proposals to prevent what they say is the waste of taxpayers’ money.
Their plans are part of a range of measures that they say will help to "restore trust and accountability in politics and public life."
The policy document, 'Honest Politics, Better Government - Restoring Trust and Accountability in Politics and Public Life’, was launched by Dublin Central candidate Gary Gannon, former vice-chair of the Public Accounts Committee Catherine Murphy, and Cllr Eoin Hayes, the party's candidate in Dublin Bay South.
Additional reporting Tommy Meskill, David Murphy
