With eight days to go until the general election, Aontú has released its manifesto, outlining a wide range of policies, including a €5,000 grant and tax breaks for those returning home from abroad, a repeal of the Gender Recognition Act, zero rate VAT on electricity, a cap on childcare costs, and economic supports for women in pregnancy.
The party has also highlighted the recent controversy around SPHE education in its manifesto, pledging to ensure that all content is “age appropriate” for school children.
The comprehensive policy was unveiled today at a launch in Dublin, with party leader Peadar Tóibín TD saying that his party has, for the last five years, “often stood alone in the Dáil” and “held our ground” on concerns around government waste, immigration policy, carbon taxes on fuel, censorship and other issues.
OPERATION SHAMROCK
The party gas proposed that Irish workers living overseas who return home to take up jobs would get an initial €5,000 grant and a tax break of €10,000 if they remain in the job for several years under a new policy called Operation Shamrock.
“There are hundreds of thousands of construction workers building houses at the moment. The problem is up to half of these are building houses in Australia and Canada,” the manifesto says, outlining a plan to launch Operation Shamrock to attract key Irish construction workers who have moved abroad to come home.
Operation Shamrock, one of the key new policies outlined today, will include a relocation package of €5,000 in vouchers to spend on flights, accommodation etc for workers who have left Ireland more than 2 years ago, according to the policy.
“We would also provide a €10,000 tax credit for these specific workers spread over 3 years. The worker would have to remain within the Irish state working in the sector for 4 years after moving home. For 10,000 staff this would cost €100m,” the document outlines.
“Aontú will build accommodation for returning workers in a speedy fashion under Class 17 of the Exempt Development Regulations. This would cut down the time of build radically. It would cost €350m.
“Aontú will also improve workforce planning in radically increase the number of construction apprentices from 1,500 a year to 3,000 a year.”
GENDER RECOGNITION ACT
The party outlines its policy on gender identity in the manifesto, stating its belief that “a woman is a female adult” and that it wants to see the Gender Recognition Act of 2018 repealed.
“We don’t believe that men can be pregnant or can give birth. It shows you how far the political establishment has travelled from fact and science that Aontú is the only party in the Dáil that can make those two statements.
“Aontú believes in a compassionate pluralist Republic. All citizens are equal and valued no matter what their identity, ethnicity, religion or orientation. Everyone should be treated on the basis of their own individual character,” the manifesto states.
Referring to the government and campaign groups’ “significant campaign of social engineering,” the party says that those in government “have tried to delete the word woman from many different areas in society.”
“They tried to delete the word woman from maternity legislation. Most recent all of the political parties other than Aontú have tried to delete the word mother from the constitution,” it adds.
The party also refers to the NCCA having links on their website to source material for teachers that advise teachers “not to use the words boys and girls in class for the same reason.” The document says the party believes that women and girls have the right to female only safe spaces, and that sports should be based on fairness and women should be allowed to participate in women only sports.
Aontú further says that education in schools should be based on science and not ideology, and has pledged to seek to repeal the Gender Recognition Act to “end the shocking government practice of male born sex offenders being placed in women’s prisons. We have already tabled legislation to this end.”
Aontú also says it will end the “practice of deleting the word woman, mother or girl being removed from legislation, our health service and from education.”
CONCERNS ABOUT SPHE
In its manifesto, the party notes that a number of teachers who attended a recent DCU course were shocked at the explicit nature of materials used.
“They were also shocked that the ethos being thought was in direct contraction of the ethos of their schools,” the document says.
“Due to pressure raised by Aontú and others a number of government Ministers and TDs publicly rebuked the content. They also reported that Minister Norma Foley did not agree with the content either. The problem here is that FF and FG ministers have been too weak to stand up for the concerns of parents.
“The General Secretary of the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland has written to School Stewards to say that the SPHE and RSE programmes includes “sensitive issues” and that “teachers should only teach material they feel they are comfortable and competent to teach.”
In response, the party outlines plans to ensure that all SPHE and associated materials will adhere to the ethos of the parents and schools their children are being taught in.
Aontú also says it will ensure that students are taught about the growing dangers that exist to women and children because of the use of pornography, and that all teaching “is based on fact and science and age appropriate.”
HOUSING
The 2024 election manifesto cites recent data that shows the average rent in Dublin is now more than €2,390 a month.
“Annually this is a full €3,000 more than the before-tax-income of a person working full time on the minimum wage. The HAP Support scheme can’t keep up with the rate of rent increases,” the document states, as it proposes a number of reforms to begin solving the rental crisis:
These include ensuring the 2% Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) cap is adhered to; easing the “over shop” accommodation regulation to allow for empty commercial properties to be used to accommodate families and an introduction of a no-fault eviction ban for tenants.
On home ownership, the party cites data which shows there are over half a million young people still living in their parents homes, adding: “Over the last 10 years, this policy has failed abysmally and will continue to fail unless the Government recognises that they are not in control and decide to directly compete with the current monopoly, who can decide where to build, when to build and charge whatever they can to maximise their profits.”
Aontú says it will “end the eternal regulation change”; will seek to engage engineers and architects to design housing schemes and invite tenders from house building firms or contractors of all sizes; will seek to re-zone land across the country for housing, and seek to control the cost of units through the public building process.
Aontú also says it wants to implement policies which will end “the cosy relationship between vulture funds, developers and the government parties,” adding: “The housing policy of the Irish government should not give a blank cheque to international investors and pit young families against vulture funds.”
The party has also pledged to introduce amendments to EU law to “delete advantages that FF/FG give to international investment vehicles which allows them a competitive advantage over families seeking a home.”
HEALTH
Aontú says it wants to change the funding of the health service to a patient engagement model. Where a patient receives an operation, a treatment, an engagement or a consultation, the state will pay the provider.
The party outlines plans to impose a recruitment freeze for admin and management. The non replacement of 600 WTE in this sector would save the HSE €30m.
“The cost of employing an extra nurse/midwife in the Irish public health sector into the future is approximately €76,148 per annum. 3,500 new nurses and midwives would cost €259m,” the manifesto outlines.
It says that health workers will be included in Operation Shamrock, seeking to bring nurses, consultants and other healthcare workers home with a return package.
Aontú further says it is opposed to the closure of further EDs including Navan ED and will seek an Emergency Department in the Mid West to take pressure off University Hospital Limerick. The party also wants to allocate an additional in €10 million in funding to establish 12 additional CAMHS teams.
It believes that the existing provision of specialist mental health staff in hospital A&Es, prisons and on-campus medical centres in universities needs to be expanded, and should include mental health nursing cover available to respond to mental health challenges and crises as they arise. The cost of this additional cover is estimated to be approximately €4 million.
Aontú seeks to employ an additional 400 Consultants next year at a cost of €88m.
IMMIGRATION
The party has already set out its policy on immigration, which involves a ten point plan which includes the establishment of a new border agency, a reinstatement of planning laws, and a community dividend.
“It’s outrageous that the Minister for Justice is not even asking the relevant questions. Aontú seek an Irish sea border at the airports and ferry ports in the North of Ireland so that the Island is treated as a unit in terms of the asylum process.
“Aontú are advocating for the creation of a single Border Agency that will be responsible for the management of applications, enforcement of decisions, accommodation, community consultation and border security,” the manifesto document states.
“Aontú is a party of self-determination. We oppose the EU Migration Pact which will erode the ability of domestic governments to manage their immigration systems and adapt to any changes in migration.
“Aontú seek a strict and speedy immigration system that differentiates between those who need help, those who are fleeing war and violence, and those who don’t. There are good people living in Ireland who have come from other countries doing important and valuable work. Aontú believes in equality and respect for all those who are legally contributing to Irish society.”
ABORTION
“The Right to Life is a human right. Human Rights are universal, they apply to all humanity. The unborn child is a living individual human being like you and me. Aontú is a human rights party. We are a party that seeks to protect and support the most vulnerable. We are a party of compassion and peace. We support the right to life for everyone,” the manifesto outlines.
It refers to the 12,000 abortions carried out in last year, explaining that the abortion rate has massively increased in the last 5 years.
“85% of abortions happen for socioeconomic reasons. The policies implemented by so called pro choice political parties make so many mothers feel that they don’t have a choice,” the document notes.
Aontú says it wants to support mothers so they “have the economic confidence to raise their children to their full potential,” adding: “An example of this support in the last Dáil was the Aontú amendment to seek a eviction ban for mothers who were pregnant, people with disabilities, people with a terminal illness and older people. FF, FG and the Greens voted against this Aontú amendment.”
Further, the pro-life party says it will seek to protect the 3 day wait period for mothers who are contemplating abortion; and economic supports for all mothers who are pregnant.
It also says it will provide the Children’s Allowance for Mothers from the 4th month of pregnancy, and adds that it supports a full freedom of conscience for everyone working in the medical sphere on the right to life.
Aontú supports that all democratic norms would include the right to life, and states that it opposes abortions based on whether the gender of the unborn child or whether he or she has a disability .
“We seek that pain relief is given to unborn children during an abortion carried out after 20 weeks gestation,” the manifesto notes, adding:
“We will ensure that the abortion system is not hidden and that a European standard of information is collected by the state.”
“We will seek that a mother has the choice of an UltraSound in advance of deciding whether or not to have an abortion.”
NGOS
The manifesto states: “The number of NGO’s in Ireland today is phenomenal. Some organisations have become dependent on the government for funding which allow Ministers to hold the sword of Damocles over them for support on social issues.
“We will undertake a comprehensive audit of all funded NGO’s and we will fund those that offer value for money or offer valuable services in the community. We will not utilise taxpayers money to shore up those that do not.”
ECONOMIC POLICIES
Outlining its economic plan, the party says it would like to:
Reverse the increase in Excise Duty on petrol and diesel and we will not proceed with carbon tax increases which will cost €500m, along with reducing the VAT on Restaurant and Pubs from 13.5% to 9% “which the government parties refused to do only a few month ago, at a cost of €545,000,000.”
Aontú further pledges to adhere to a limit core spending growth of 5% each year, in line with the estimated trend growth rate of the Irish economy, adding that it will provide an additional, second rate of child benefit would be means tested. This additional child benefit benefiting 100,000 households.
“This has the potential to take more than 40,000 children out of poverty. We estimate that introducing this payment would cost around €700 million per year,” the party says.
Aontú has also vowed to provide a cap for childcare costs of €100 a week; invest more to provide more places through existing providers and by delivery through the public system, and also in schools if possible.
The party also wants to make €3,000 childcare subvention available to mothers and fathers who choose to stay at home within the first 3 years of the child’s life.
FREE SPEECH
Aontú says it believes in “the idea of a liberal democracy where Freedom of Speech is protected at all costs.”
The manifesto states: “In history censorship has never ended well. Censorship is authoritarian. It deletes the liberty of the citizen. It deletes the competition of ideas. It reduces the ability to challenge and to test the prevailing ideologies.
“Shockingly, Fine Gael, FF and the Green party, with the support of most of the opposition, have been attempting to bring in Hate Speech Laws which would land people in jail for having the wrong opinion.
“Aontú have resisted their attempts thus far, but they are still persisting and promising to bring more legislation under their next government. Aontú will continue to oppose, speak, and vote against censorship laws.”