Fianna Fáil has launched its election manifesto, promising not to spend the projected €11bn available over the next five years.

The party has committed to a four-to-one ratio of spending increases vs tax cuts.

Housing promises include an SSIA savings scheme, a large affordable rental housing scheme and retaining the help-to-buy scheme.

Fianna Fáil is also promising childcare subsidies and a new rural crime bureau.

The spending package announced is €9.8bn - short of what is expected to be available over the next five years.

On housing, the party's big policy idea is an SSIA savings scheme for first-time buyers, the retention of the help-to-buy scheme and an affordable rental building scheme.

On health, party leader Micheál Martin says he will double the National Treatment Purchase Fund in a bid to alleviate trolley waiting lists.

Almost €500m would be spent recruiting 1,000 new consultants and 4,000 nurses.

The party also pledges an increase in the home carers tax credit, a 1% cut in the 4.5% rate of USC and a childminders tax credit.

While on childcare, the pledge is to increase the universal subsidy from €20 to €80 a week.

Mr Martin criticised the Government while launching his own plans.

"It's failure to understand the depth of the problems they have presided over is unchanged.

"And its addiction to putting politics before people is as strong as ever.

"The contrast between us is very clear: Fianna Fáil's is a positive agenda for change - an agenda for a new government, which understands how Ireland is failing too many of its citizens"

Speaking earlier on Newstalk Breakfast, Mr Martin also accused Fine Gael of showing "no ambition" in relation to climate change during its years in Government.

"A climate action plan was published just before the election but there is no track record from the previous Government on this.

"They have said that the Fianna Fáil/Green Government was too ambitious in relation to climate change.

"They spent the first three years after 2011 complaining about the Fianna Fáil/Green Government's ambitious objectives in relation to climate change."

He said Fianna Fáil would use funds from the carbon tax to fund a new national retrofit programme to help people make their homes more energy-efficient.

Read the manifesto in full here