1 February 2020
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
The Social Democrats have launched their election manifesto entitled ‘Invest in Better’. The document, which is fully costed and runs to 123 pages, sets out a roadmap for what it calls a ‘uniquely Irish version of the Nordic model’ and covers topics from health and housing to LGTBTQI+ rights.
The manifesto commits to a clear set of socially democratic policy proposals including:
- The full funding and implementation of Sláintecare.
- 100,000 homes on public land.
- A commitment to genuinely improving work/life balance for all.
- A public transport plan which seeks to reshape the current National Development Plan in order to shift priority onto cycling and public transport.
Party co-leader Róisín Shortall said:
“This document is a roadmap. A set of policies firmly grounded in a social democratic approach of fairness, we believe taking the approach outlined in the document would not only address the immediate challenges facing Ireland such as the affordability crisis in housing and the dysfunction of the health service, but would ensure we forge a more sustainable path to stop the traditional Irish electoral cycle of broken promises and implementation deficit.”
Sinéad Halpin, the party’s candidate for Cork North Central agreed saying:
“This manifesto is radical in addressing the issues facing working families and young people. In this document, we outline our plans to build social and affordable homes, implement the Sláintecare programme, expand paid parental leave and childcare, enact flexible work options for workers, tackle Climate Change with a ‘Just Transition’ to protect the most vulnerable, invest in infrastructure here in Cork and increase funding for Gardaí to fight the shocking crime wave we’ve seen in recent weeks. If you want change, vote for it. Hope for better, vote for better, vote Social Democrats.”
The manifesto can be found at https://www.
The Social Democrats are fielding 20 candidates are fielding 20 candidates in this general election
