Election 2024: Social Democrats promise free public transport for under-18s and tax on ‘super wealth’

The Social Democrats in government would introduce a €1 off-peak fare for public transport, free public travel for children under 18 and would “throw everything at public transport”.
The party has also pledged to deliver 50,000 affordable purchase houses, 25,000 affordable rental homes and 70,000 social homes over the lifetime of the next government.
It would offer no income tax cuts or reductions in the USC and deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan said his party was being “very upfront” as he warned that what other party leaders were promising in terms of “huge investment in public services and very positive tax cuts at the same time” is “absolutely not credible”.
Its tax measures include a tax increase on incomes above €400,000 and a tax on “super wealth”, at 0.5 per cent on assets more than €1 million but excluding family homes and farmland. It would also increase betting tax both online and in-shop. It would begin phasing out subsidies for housing developers and remove tax exemptions for REITS and other institutional investors.
Speaking at the launch of the party’s manifesto Mr O’Callaghan said the “dealbreakers” for the party to enter government include the delivery of affordable purchase homes, full implementation of the Sláintecare health reforms and investment in disability services with a senior minister for disability, an affordable and high-quality public childcare system capped at €250 a week, and a revised climate action plan.
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The party would provide a budget for salaried GPs and increase the mental health budget to 10 per cent of the overall health budget. “We want to increase funding for disability services by an additional €1.1 billion a year, to include €30 euro per week cost of disability payment.
“We will abolish the means test for carers and introduce statutory right to home care,” and “we’ll make education genuinely free with a Deis plus scheme for schools in extremely disadvantaged communities.”
Social Democrats Wicklow TD Jennifer Whitmore said they would “throw everything at public transport” because this is the area with highest emissions. She said the carbon tax was a huge political issue, but “it is actually quite a small amount” and they want to see the tax ring-fenced to fund transport initiatives across the country.
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She insisted that the party would reach the full 51 per cent emissions reduction target with solar panels on 5,000 homes, a €5 billion climate transformation fund, and a €1.5 billion fair transition fund for farmers “because this needs to be done hand in hand with the farming community”.
Dublin Central TD Gary Gannon said the party plans a €180 grant for six- to 18-year-olds for sport and cultural vouchers, which the party believes would operate better than a tax credit.
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