FG launches election manifesto in Dublin

Fine Gael has launched its election manifesto and is promising to create a compassionate and generous Ireland.

The party has proposed the creation of a new 30% income tax rate for middle-income earners, but it promised to leave capital gains tax, corporation tax and VAT untouched.

In good economic times, Fine Gael plans to distribute budget surpluses to every Irish citizen through a national profit-sharing scheme and to increase annual contributions to the national pension reserve fund to 1.5% of GDP.

It has also vowed to introduce a tax credit for 20% of childcare costs, to raise pensions to €200-a-week by 2006, to appoint a Minister for Transport and to provide free bus travel during off-peak times in Dublin.