Free childcare and vacant homes tax among proposals to be put forward at Soc Dems conference

Inflation and housing issues are expected to dominate the party's conference this weekend

NO FEE FOR 1ST REPRO. Róisín Shortall: 'Primarily, we need a mini budget now to provide some measure of relief to those who are really struggling to put food on the table and pay their bills'. File Picture: Paul Sharp

Free childcare, the immediate introduction of a vacant homes tax and a three-year ban on rent increases are among proposals being put forward at the Social Democrats conference this weekend.

The party, which will hold its national conference on Friday and Saturday, will also call for an emergency budget to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.

This would include a €300 refundable tax credit for workers on incomes below €50,000.

Inflation and housing issues are expected to dominate the conference, which will be held in Dublin's Gresham hotel.

Members will vote on a motion that points to the fact that a vacant homes tax was promised as far back as 2016 and states that any further delay to the introduction of the levy is "inexcusable". 

The party will be calling on the Government to introduce such a tax in Budget 2023 to help bring vacant homes back into us.

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall said: "This will be our first in-person conference since 2019 – and we are really looking forward to getting into a room with members, from all over the country, and discussing the major issues we face as a country. It’s been far too long since we had an opportunity to do that.

"We don’t just want to analyse the country’s problems at our conference – we want to talk about our solutions. The policy changes we could make that would make a big difference to people."

Ms Shortall added: "Primarily, we need a mini budget now to provide some measure of relief to those who are really struggling to put food on the table and pay their bills; we want to seriously address the key issue in housing – the affordability crisis – and drive down the cost of homes; we urgently need to see the crisis in disability services taken seriously; and we want to see the Sláintecare reforms of our health service actually implemented, so that we have better health outcomes and lower health costs."

Also on the agenda is a motion to legally require large companies to publish their internal policies on all aspects of maternity, paternity, parental, adoptive, and parent’s leave provisions.

The motion, brought forward by the Wicklow branch would see the Social Democrats adopt as policy the requirement on those employing 250 people or more to publish the level of supports and entitlements they give to staff.

Another family-centred proposal due to be discussed is a motion to provide free childcare as a right for all children.