Social Democrats Leader Holly Cairns has promised the party would build 50,000 homes a year if elected to Government.
Speaking at her first national conference since she became leader of the party, Ms Cairns said the “wrong political decisions” caused the housing crisis, but the Social Democrats will fix it.
“We will deliver 50,000 homes per year during our term in office,” she said at the conference in University College Dublin.
“We will deliver 10,000 affordable homes and 12,000 social homes per year.
“And immediately, we will introduce a three-year rent freeze, a ban on no-fault evictions, a tax on vacant homes with real teeth, and an end to the bulk buying of homes by investment funds.”
Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil 'no longer a given'
Ms Cairns said it is “no longer a given” that Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil will form the next Government.
“That is seismic,” she said. “It means people are open to alternatives and they are considering all of their options and I believe that social democracy offers the transformative change we need in this country.”
The Cork TD also said Ireland is “nowhere near” achieving universal healthcare and promised the Social Democrats would “accelerate implementation”.
“This plan to deliver universal healthcare – Sláintecare – was agreed in 2017 by every political party,” she said.
Cairns promises climate action
She noted there is a “tendency in Irish politics towards short-termism".
“When Governments only think in five-year election cycles - long term plans for climate action fall very far down the list of priorities,” she said.
“But we cannot afford to continue on this path of half measures, incomplete plans and missed targets.
“We only need to look at the recent flooding in Midleton to get a glimpse of what the future holds.
“That is why the Social Democrats want to see the budget surplus used to create a €6 billion climate transformation fund.”
Palestine
Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid also attended the Social Democrat national conference on Friday evening.
Ms Cairns said Dr Abdalmajid’s speech reminded everyone “the scale of the death and destruction in Gaza is unprecedented”.
“Witnessing the unchecked cruelty of the Israeli government - while the majority of the western world turns a blind eye - has been horrifying,” she said.
“The Government has echoed many of those words of support and has been a strong voice on the international stage.
“But for months now I have stood across from the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, week after week, and suggested actions Ireland can take to match those strong words, and every time this Government has chosen inaction.”
She said the Government must lobby for trade EU sanctions and officially recognise Palestine as a State.
