Labour wants €250 to cover every pupil’s school costs

Every child going to school, even those of millionaires, should be given up to €250 every year to pay for school uniforms and shoes, under alternative budget plans announced by the Labour Party.

The party’s leader Brendan Howlin, speaking at the launch of the document, described the Government’s €500m a year rainy day fund as “daft”, saying the money should be invested in housing.

The party said it believes in universality and that providing payments of this sort, as well as abolishing voluntary contributions, will reduce the cost of sending children to school.

The party is proposing giving €125 per child aged between four and 12 years, and €250 per child for those attending secondary school.

Labour believes that, in addition to the €800m of new spending committed to by Minister Paschal Donohoe in next Tuesday’s budget, an additional €770m should be spent in providing better services. Mr Howlin said the additional spend would still fall within the scope of the permitted fiscal space allowed under EU spending rules.

“We have a choice, we can cut taxes or cut poverty,” he said. “We cannot do both.”

He rejected calls from Central Bank governor Philip Lane to deliver a budget surplus, saying his party’s policy is still prudent.

In seeking to raise additional revenue totalling €1.56bn, the party is seeking to reverse the Vat cut to 9% for the hospitality sector which is widely anticipated.

The Labour Party is also seeking to reduce prescription charges by €1, reduce the drug payment threshold to €100, remove hospital inpatient charges, offer free GP care for all those under 18 and a free contraception service from autumn 2019.

Meanwhile, the Social Democrats are also seeking to reverse the hospitality services Vat cut, but on a phased basis. Led by Catherine Murphy and Róisín Shortall, the party also want to raise €1.25bn in additional taxation.

The party wants to increase taxes on sugar, alcohol, and cigarettes, as well as raising excise on diesel by three cents a litre.

The Social Democrats want to spend €500m developing public land banks to expedite the building of social housing.

They also are proposing a vacant site levy to free up disused homes for those who need them.

The party is also calling for the introduction of a rent freeze nationwide and beefed-up rights for tenants.

They too also criticised the rainy day fund, saying: “It’s already pouring down.”

Like Labour, they are seeking to remove the costs of putting children through primary and secondary school.

The Green Party, meanwhile, outlined what it called a significant re-focusing of investment towards housing, education, and transport. Like the other two parties, they want to make primary and secondary education truly free and to introduce a basic income model in Ireland.

Leader Eamon Ryan TD: “We need a radically different approach in how we address the housing crisis. That starts with an extra €1bn invested in public housing — in particular, large-scale cost rental on state-owned land.

“Addressing the crisis in housing is just a first step, however; we also need to be radical in building a progressive economic model for the future. Central to this is our proposal to transition to a basic income model which will help deliver a common social floor and a level playing field.”