The Programme for Government lacks “big ideas”, Sinn Féin has claimed. 

Yesterday, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and various independents announced they had concluded a draft deal that would be submitted to party members for approval. 

The agreement includes a commitment to deliver a further 300,000 new homes over the lifetime of the next Dáil, build four new hospitals and expand free access to GPs for children. 

It also reiterated a previous pledge to cut carbon emissions by 51% by the end of the decade. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, Sinn Féin Finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty said he had hoped there would be more ambition. 

“Reading through the Programme for Government, you really could have just changed the date of it and put five-years ago on it,” he said. 

“There’s nothing new here; there’s no big ideas, there’s no vision. 

“Indeed, if people wanted a continuation of what we had under Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael under the last five-years - that’s what they’ve got. 

“Indeed, the word ‘continue’ appears 249 times in the report - so, that’s the dominant factor in this Programme for Government and I think that’s disappointing.” 

President Higgins with Micheál Martin and Simon Harris. Picture by Rolling News.ie

The Donegal TD described many of the commitments in the plan as “vague” but said there was one policy area they were “very categoric” about. 

“This Government is determined to put up the price of heating your home and putting petrol and diesel in your car,” he said. 

“They’re committed to, every single year over the next five-years, to [increasing] the price of petrol and diesel.” 

A man refilling his vehicle. Picture by: Miljan Živković / Alamy Stock Photo.

Deputy Doherty also said the agreement was light on details about how to help more people buy a home of their own. 

“What confidence does it give you now? Absolutely none,” he said. 

“There is nothing new here in relation to housing; there’s nothing that is looking at reversing the trajectory of house prices running away. 

“Indeed, the level of delivery in terms of social housing is way below what is required.”

If the Programme for Government is approved by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael members, Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin will swap jobs on January 22nd. 

Main image:Pearse Doherty speaks to the media at Leinster House. Picture by: Sasko Lazarov/ RollingNews.ie