The most contentious issue for the coalition Government will be Ireland’s housing crisis, which has rumbled on since the recession when investment in public services was slashed. The Government’s Housing for All plan, which sets out an aim to build an average of 33,000 homes a year until 2030, has been criticised as not ambitious enough and that the share of public housing is too small. Ahead of the 2020 general election, the Government’s official homelessness tally surpassed 10,000 people for the first time – now, 14,760 people are homeless. Childcare is another possible battleground, with almost all political parties announcing policies in recent weeks on how to make it more affordable and accessible. The difficulty in securing school places for children with disabilities has also become a prominent political issue in recent weeks.

Source: The Herald November 06, 2024 18:58 UTC