Green Party’s Manifesto Promises Massive Transport Overhaul – Here’s What You Need to Know

Introduction

The Green Party has come out with a detailed manifesto in preparation for the forthcoming general elections which, among others, emphasises enhanced public transport systems to combat climate change and meet the desires of commuters. Fine Gael and Sinn Féin on the other hand have turned their attention to farming and country matters, in particular to issues of inheritance tax.

The following policy advances represent each party’s take on important socio-political concerns ranging from the politics of climate change to rural development amid a humanitarian crisis of the rising cost of living and adapting to climate change. The Green Party’s manifesto has given hope to the supporters of a greener Ireland, though it will remain a matter of choice to the people as to which course of action does their vision fit.

Green Party’s Transport and Climate Commitments

The Greens’ program emphasises on transport systems and climate resilience. The party has pledged to dedicate €10 billion or more for the betterment of public transport in the city, with €7 billion coming from the Apple tax reserve and €3 billion from other funds.

These project proposals include undertakings such as the developments of MetroLink, DART+, the enlargement of the misnamed Luas, and cities Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford regional rail improvements.

These developments have somewhat of a primary focus in Green Party’s manifesto, wellbeing of commuters and reduction of carbon emissions to a large extent is promised with such development.

Another paramount component of the Green Party’s manifesto is the proposal of a Climate Ticket. This measure would even further lower the cost of commuting but would also promote an eco-friendly way of commuting. After having affordable measures like fare cut for adults by 20%, young people by 60% and free for children below nine years, the Green Party’s manifesto hopes to promote the use of public means of transport and safety of the environment for the general public.

The party stresses on the growth of public transport, which has reached the peak of a million passengers per day, as the key factor in furthering the party’s agenda of a greening Ireland.

Fine Gael and Sinn Féin’s Focus on Farming and Inheritance Tax

In contrast to the Greens, whose manifesto mainly discusses urban development and climate change adaptation, both Fine Gael and Sinn Féin focus on rural constituencies and the politics of inheritance tax.

The leader of Fine Gael Simon Harris made a visit with the farmers in midlands to communicate the party’s strategy with regard to rural Ireland. 

Fine Gael advanced a plan to increase the tax-free inheritance limits to €500,000 and €75,000 for children and siblings respectively and for others €50,000. With this, Fine Gael seeks to promote the traditional family farm structure while enhancing Ireland’s agrarian economy rather than creating financial strain on families owning farms.

Broader Election Context and Other Party Manifestos

McDonald, on the other hand, will bring her party’s long-standing ambitions of taking power in Northern Ireland into the campaign as well.

The manifestos are not only taken up by major political parties. One of the minor parties, for example, the Green Party, submitted a proposal which explains its policy in detail. So has the Labour Party, which has pledged to spend, among other things, €7 billion of the Apple tax revenue fund on the housing and climate agendas. 

This comprises €6 billion which is earmarked for the establishment of a State Construction Company while another €1 billion is for the water infrastructure which is essential.

The Fianna Fáil party claims that the solution to the issue of affordable energy is to move into renewable energy sources and believes that there is enough green energy that can reduce energy bills for households.

The smaller parties such as Social Democrats, Aontú, People Before Profit are also coming up with distinct policy proposals focusing on issues of social justice, immigration, and disability.

With such high cost of living, inflation, and climate change, there are apparent aspects of exhortation for change in the distinct strategies of each political party. However, it is worth noting that the edition of the Green Party benefits from its election manifesto addressing the need for clean transportation in order to support economic growth.

Background of the Green Party Leader and Key Figures

Roderic O’Gorman’s Political Journey

The national leader of the Green Party, Roderic O’Gorman, has made it clear that he will always focus on climate change and sustainability. The reasons for his active involvement in the preservation of the environment and promotion of sustainable transport are very much in line with the tenets of the Green Party’s manifesto.

Policy achievements by O’Gorman also include policies which have made public transport more accessible, and as a result affordable, aiding the sustainment of the green momentum in Ireland.

Simon Harris (Fine Gael) and Mary Lou McDonald (Sinn Féin)

The leader of the Fine Gael party, Simon Harris, who is a rural advocate, will bring a new dimension to this contest. His reaching out to the farmers is an illustration of Fine Gael’s rural approach.  In addition, CAIN’s Mary Lou McDonald is likely to help Sinn Féin’s ambitions for Northern Ireland politics.

Conclusion 

As previously stated, voters in this election have to navigate through competing and varied priorities. The Green Party’s manifesto places much emphasis on developing sustainable systems of public transport and climate change policies in a bid to create better facilities in Ireland for the benefit of the environment.

In comparison, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin are taking a more concrete approach in addressing rural and housing issues, in a bid to capture the attention of the farming sector and working class families.

With the environmental and economical challenges that Ireland experiences, the Green Party’s manifesto enlarges the scope for change from sustainability for those who want to achieve a better tomorrow. However, Fine Gael has decided to centre its campaign on improving rural areas while Sinn Féin has pitched low-cost housing.

While in other cases, many avenues and layers lead to finding a single motivating maxim, this might be a case where the core centralisation issue is fighting for one single cause. In this election, the course of development of the environmental and social policy of Ireland can be determined for many years to come.

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