Latest: Independent candidates surge in latest poll as major parties slip
With almost a week gone in the election campaign, the number of undecided voters has dropped by four points to 16%.
Independent candidates have seen support for them jump in the first poll taken during the election campaign.
Fine Gael remains the most popular party at 25%, but this is down two points from the last poll, with Fianna Fáil recording no change at 19%.
Sinn Féin is also at 19%, down one point.
Simon Harris remains the most popular leader, according to the poll.
However, non-party candidates appear to be the real winners in the latest poll, having risen by four points to 20%.
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This, however, includes those who indicated support for the new Independent Ireland Party.
Peadar Tóibín's Aontú party has also recorded a slight bounce, up two points to 3%.
The other small parties are either slightly down in support or have remained unchanged: Labour is at 5%, the Social Democrats at 4%, the Green Party at 3%, and People Before Profit Solidarity at 2%.
With almost a week gone in the election campaign, the number of undecided voters has dropped by four points to 16%.
People Before Profit is calling for the introduction of price controls on staple goods and energy bills, as it presses other left-wing parties not to support Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in government.
Launching their manifesto on Thursday, People Before Profit leader Richard Boyd Barrett said that “100 years of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael is enough”.
“We are attempting, in this manifesto, to radically transform the situation in Ireland necause Ireland is a wealthy country with record budget surpluses – that is wealth that has been generated by working people, but they are not seeing or feeling the benefit of the wealth that they are generating,” Mr Boyd Barrett said.
“Because Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been looking after the vulture funds, the property speculators, the corporate landlords and the big multinational companies instead of looking after working people, the less well off and the vulnerable in our society.”
Outgoing PBP TD Paul Murphy lashed out at the two main government parties, saying that they have failed to address cost-of-living for families.
“The fundamental problem with the approach of the government and what’s promised by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, is they do not address the root of the cost of living crisis,” Mr Murphy said.
“They give people a few euros here, which passes though people’s hands, through their wallets, through their bank accounts and then back into the big cash piles of the big energy companies in particular.”
Other pledges within the manifesto include tax changes, including the abolition of the USC on all income below €100,000.
There are also calls for the introduction of a new multi-millionaires tax, on all wealth over €4.7m. PBP has estimated that this could raise up to €8bn a year.
It is also calling for corporation tax to be increased to 20% and to close existing tax loopholes, which it says will raise €20bn a year.
For workers, it is calling for the introduction of a four day work week, without loss of pay, as well as two more bank holidays and 30 paid days off.
On housing, the party is calling for the establishment of a state construction company, with promises to deliver 30,000 social and 5,000 affordable houses each year.
It says that the renters tax credit should be increased to €3,000 a year.
PBP are also pledging to abolish all fares for public transport services.
Asked if the party was serious about forming a left-wing government after the election, Mr Boyd Barrett “We’re serious about transforming Irish society, we believe it’s possible. We have the ambition to believe that’s possible,” Mr Boyd Barrett said.
“I think a lot of the things that we’re talking about actually match with the aspirations of people.”
Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman has questioned the climate credentials of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin, saying it is “not front and centre” for the two main government parties.
The outgoing Children’s Minister said Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael engaged in a more “robust way” on climate compared to previous governments, but they do not understand some of the key impacts.
“It’s not front and centre for them and I think they don’t quite grasp the step forward we have to do in terms of helping families, helping people, helping businesses make those changes,” Mr O’Gorman said.
Mr O’Gorman said the “biggest fights” in government were over climate matters, highlighting the fact both parties blocked plans to outline how the €3bn climate and nature fund would be spent.
“Unfortunately, in the dying days of this government, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael decided to punt on really important decisions regarding how this money is spent, how that money can actually benefit families and benefit citizens across the country.”
He said it was “disappointing” that both parties opted against sending a signal to businesses that they would assist with energy prices.
Mr O’Gorman strongly criticised Sinn Féin, saying that after over four years he was unaware of any of their policies on climate.
“I have no idea what Sinn Féin’s policy on climate is. They haven’t said a word about it over the last four and a half years. They talk about every sort of change but climate change.”
Mr O’Gorman said that the party had “flip-flopped” on the Nature Restoration Law, highlighting that a now-MEP welcomed the change while a former MEP had voted against it.
“On the carbon tax, they condemn it, yet all the income from the carbon tax is built into all their budgets. They criticise the policy, but they’re very happy to spend the money.”
Mr O’Gorman said that the Greens would be unable to form a government with others who are not “absolutely committed” to building on the work of the previous coalition around climate.
Asked if it was a move by Sinn Féin to shore up support from climate change sceptics, Mr O’Gorman said: “I genuinely think there’s no interest within Sinn Féin on this issue… It’s not something that they care about.”
Sinn Féin has proposed creating a new standalone agency to manage migration into Ireland, as the party calls for the application processing time to be halved.
The agency itself would combine existing migration agencies, including the International Protection Office (IPO), and would be responsible for accommodating asylum seekers, processing applications and deportations.
Party leader Mary Lou McDonald said it would be possible to establish such an agency within a matter of months.
Ms McDonald said she wanted to see the wait time it takes for an asylum application to be processed cut down to six months, but if possible it should be quicker than that.
“I would like to think that with the correct resourcing and the correct pace that we can certainly halve those times and if we can do it more quickly and efficiently we will,” Ms McDonald said.
However, she added any speeding-up of processing must ensure it was in line with fairness and natural justice for those seeking asylum.
Outgoing Cork South Central TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said staff at the IPO would need to be three times the existing number — to about 1,200.
On deportations, Mr Ó Laoghaire raised concerns about how the Government was at present unaware if individuals issued with deportation orders had left.
“That is a serious gap in terms of data and enforcement,” he said, adding the new agency would investigate and check with accommodation providers to ensure people were leaving.
The new policy also includes the expansion of the Department of Justice, with the party calling for it to be also made responsible for home affairs.
Sinn Féin has also called for a move towards more State-owned beds for asylum seekers living in Ireland, rather than the existing system of commercially owned accommodation centres. it has also proposed introducing a standardised system for community engagement on the location of asylum centres.
Outgoing Cavan-Monaghan TD Matt Carthy said this should not be controversial to set up, reiterating the party’s opposition to additional accommodation centres in working-class areas without sufficient resources.
“Any other development that has taken place in a town or a village or a city has a process of public input, whether it be through the planning process or other mechanisms,” Mr Carthy said.
“The only area where the public are denied any role whatsoever or any public consultation is in respect of this issue. This needs to change.
“Whatever perspective you come from, a rules-based system protects everybody.”
Immigration emerged as one of the major issues for political parties in the last two years of the Government, with senior ministers saying there had been a massive increase in the number of asylum seekers.
The State has failed to accommodate thousands of international protection applicants, with 2,865 men currently awaiting an official offer of accommodation.
This has manifested with the erection of makeshift migrant camps along streets and canals in Dublin, something Ms McDonald called a “heartbreaking disgrace”.
The Government mobilised a multi-agency response to clear the encampments in the interests of public health, and placed barriers to make it more difficult for asylum seekers to place their tents.
There has been a spate of arson attacks against centres earmarked for use by asylum seekers, as well as protests in which gardaí were injured and Garda vehicles were damaged. Some of the makeshift migrant encampments have also been damaged and subjected to suspected arson.
- additional reporting from PA
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