The seventh day of General Election 2024 has seen parties focus on immigration, climate action and the health service as politicians attempt to win over support before voting day on Friday 29 November.
At a media event this morning, Sinn Féin said it wants to establish a new immigration management agency that would oversee the processing of applications and accommodation for people seeking international protection in Ireland.
The party is proposing that new accommodation centres should only be placed in more affluent areas where there are services to support them and there should be more engagement with communities considered as suitable locations.
Party leader Mary Lou McDonald said it is currently taking a year for a first decision and a further year for an appeal.
"We have to bring that right down.
"I would like to think with the correct resourcing and with the correct pace, that we can certainly halve those times.
"If we can do it more quickly and more efficiently we will."
The party has defended a proposal to examine whether EU/EEA and Swiss citizens should have to register their presence in Ireland, saying this was "quite common" in other EU countries.
"It exists in Spain, France, Italy and Belgium," said the party's spokesperson for social protection, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire.
Labour's leader Ivana Bacik responded to the Sinn Féin proposals by saying the plans are "heavy-handed".
"It looks to me as if it's pandering.
"I believe it's pandering to some of the worst elements when they talk about, as they do, only siting accommodation centres in communities that have capacity in resources.
"That to me sounds like they're arguing for a veto in areas as to where international protection centres may be established.
"I don't think that's appropriate, nor is it feasible," Ms Bacik said.
The Labour leader was speaking in Co Louth as part of her party's football policy launch in Drogheda, which intends to increase investment in Irish football from grassroots to international level.
Ms Bacik has also responded to reports her party could become a preferred coalition partner for Fine Gael and or Fianna Fáil, if either or both parties return to power, by saying "we have major differences with the three biggest parties, and I've been very clear about that".
Meanwhile, Fine Gael leader Simon Harris has indicated his party will commit to abolishing the carer's allowance means test and to introducing a new family carer payment of €325 per week, if it is returned to government.
Asked during a visit to Dublin City University about comments from Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin about his surprise at the level of attacks on his party from Fine Gael and that doing so could be dangerous for Government formation, Mr Harris said: "I think after he said that he then went on to attack Fine Gael, so giving out about being attacked whilst then attacking, is an interesting way of doing things."
He said an election was about debating policies and should never be personal.
Asked about former Fine Gael minister Eoghan Murphy's recent criticism that that the party had not made housing a priority while he was minister, Mr Harris said he wished Mr Murphy well.
He said he had not read Mr Murphy's book but hoped to do so.
Mr Harris continued that at the time "when our country was fighting for it's economic sovereignty, fighting to protect businesses, farms, our peace processes... of course there would be a priority on those matters."
Fianna Fáil's leader Micheál Martin canvassed in Co Offaly this morning.
His party's health spokesperson Stephen Donnelly separately said if it is returned to government Fianna Fáil will allocate an extra 40% in funding to the public health service.
Mr Donnelly said this extra funding will be used to staffing and hospital beds, reduce costs to all patients and expand access to existing and new services.
He also criticised rival party's health policies, including Sinn Féin, saying they are not credible and that "I think opposition sometimes looks at what the Government is doing and doubles it or adds a zero to it.
"Our numbers are credible".
The Green Party has also been on the campaign trail today, with party leader Roderic O'Gorman saying his party will invest €1.2bn in an expanded home retrofit programme from a new climate and nature savings fund if returned to government.
Speaking in Dublin, he said there would also be €200m to help businesses with their energy efficiency; €250m to support the rollout of district heating; and €100m for new infrastructure to support offshore wind and microgeneration.
The Social Democrats said it will be "honest" with farmers and said it will not make promises it may not be able to keep on climate, after a number of rival party leaders attended an Irish Farmers Association event on Tuesday.
People Before Profit-Solidarity has also published its General Election manifesto, promising to address topics including housing, cost of living, neutrality and workers' rights.
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