A Green new deal ...with a price tag

What does the Programme for Government plan to do? Read on to find out...

THE draft Programme for Government is nearly 50,000 words long and sets out the coalition Government’s aspirations for the next five years. Some of it is vague, with mentions of ‘exploring possible synergies’, while some of it comes with concrete figures. It includes everything from urban renewal to pension ages, school building, ‘green’ hydrogen and even badger vaccination. Here are the main points of the document, titled ‘Our Shared Future’.

THE ECONOMY BUDGETARY POLICY

TAX ON GOODS: Any new tax rises on goods should be on behaviours with negative effects, such as carbon tax, sugar tax, plastics, etc.

LOCAL PROPERTY TAX: New homes, which are currently exempt from the LPT, come into the taxation system. All money collected locally will be retained within the county.

WINDFALL GAINS: ‘We will use Any windfall gains such as the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) surplus, the final resolution of the liquidation of the Irish Bank ‘Resolution Corporation (IBRC) or the sale of the state shareholdings in the banks, to reduce State borrowing requirements.’

BUDGETARY PROCESS: Budget and expenditure plans for each department must include measures to drive the digitisation of public services, so that people can use services through the internet.

CORPORATION TAX: Committed to the 12.5% corporation tax rate.

PUBLIC PAY DEAL: As part of any pay deal, the Government will ensure that there is an emphasis on ‘embedding positive work practice changes that have emerged due to the Covid-19 emergency’ – that probably means working from home.

SMALL BUSINESS TAXES: ‘We will review Capital Gains Tax in each Budget over the next five-years, with aim of helping enterprises that will help Ireland transition to a low carbon economy.’

Prioritise a Town Centres First approach for towns and villages, using a new Town Centres Health Check (TCHC) to measure how towns are doing.

An expanded Town and Village Renewal Scheme to bring vacant and derelict buildings back into use and promote residential occupancy.

Provide seed capital to local authorities to provide serviced sites at cost in towns and villages to allow individuals and families build homes.

NATIONAL ECONOMIC PLAN:

On the same day as Budget 2021, the Government will set out a National Economic Plan charting our longer-term jobs led recovery.

Support for those who have lost their jobs to return to employment as quickly as possible.

Promoting a major reskilling programme to enable those who have lost their jobs during the lockdown to develop existing and new skills

By the end of 2020 develop a strong pipeline of apprenticeships and traineeships (including mature apprenticeships) to support our recovery phase.

Increase the lifelong learning rate from 9% currently to 18% by 2025.

Retrofitting to upgrade at least 500,000 homes to a B2 energy grade by 2030. And use smart finance (e.g. loan guarantee, European Investment Bank) and develop easy pay back mechanisms (i.e. through your utility bill).

Expand the role of the Local Enterprise Offices (LEO), and allow them to provide direct grant support to businesses with more than 10 employees.

CORONAVIRUS ECONOMY:

Set out a pathway for the future implementation of the Temporary Wage Subsidy and the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.

Enact legislation for the introduction of a new €2billion Credit Guarantee Scheme, Start Up Relief for Enterpreneurs (SURE) scheme and the warehousing of tax liabilities.

Review the Business Restart Grant and consider further grant supports for small and medium businesses

Scale up Microfinance Ireland so that it can support greater numbers of small businesses and startups in accessing finance.

Set out how commercial rates will be treated for the remainder of 2020.

Create a code of conduct between landlords and tenants for commercial rents.

RATING

Much more solid on facts and figures than many other areas of the plan. Clear objectives and many programmes to restart the economy after the coronavirus slump

TRANSPORT CYCLING AND PEDESTRIAN:

An allocation of 10% of the total transport capital budget for cycling projects and an allocation of 10% of the total capital budget for pedestrian infrastructure. The Government’s commitment to cycling and pedestrian projects will be set at 20% of the 2020 capital budget (€360 million) per year for the lifetime of the Government. This commitment will deliver separated cycling and walking paths which will be delivered or under construction by end 2024.

Mandate that every local authority adopts a high-quality cycling policy and appoints a Cycling Officer with ‘clear powers and role’.

‘Dramatically’ increase the number of children walking and cycling to primary and secondary school by mandating the Department of Transport to work with schools and local authorities, including promoting car-free ‘School Streets’.

Widen the eligibility of the Bike to Work scheme and provide an increased proportionate allowance for e-bikes and bikes that carry goods, known as cargo bikes.

Conduct a review of road traffic policy and legislation to prioritise the safety of walking and cycling.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT:

A 2:1 expenditure ratio between new public transport infrastructure and new roads. This ratio will be maintained in each Budget. In the event of an under-spend on roads, this will not affect public transport spending.

Prioritise plans for Dublin’s Metrolink, Luas and other light rail expansion, Dart expansion and interconnector and BusConnects in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick.

The NTA to produce a park and ride plan for each of the five major cities and will include the provision of secure lockers for bicycles.

All towns over a certain population will have a service connecting them to national public transport.

A review of the Local Link bus service after a year and ‘exploring the opportunity to significantly increase their impact on the communities they serve’.

Coordination between bus and rail timetables of all operators.

Accelerate transport plans for schools. The School Transport Scheme should work in liaison with the Safe Routes to Schools Programme.

Prioritise rail projects in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford on existing and unused lines.

Progress the electrification of rail services to decrease journey times and emissions.

Address pinch points for buses and expand priority signalling for buses and Real Time Passenger Information.

Give greater priority to bus serv

ices by expanding Quality Bus Corridors and consider the introduction of Bus Rapid Transit Services.

GREEN CARS:

Legislate to ban the registration of new fossil-fuelled cars and light vehicles from 2030 onwards and phase out diesel and petrol cars from Irish cities from 2030.

Review the current motor taxation regime ‘to ensure it adequately captures the harm caused by NOx (nitrogen oxide) and SOx (sulphur oxide) emissions’. This will only apply to newly registered vehicles.

By 2025, the government will only allow public sector bodies to purchase low or no-emissions cars and light goods vehicles.

Require that all new urban buses be electric hybrid or electric.

Create legislation for e-scooters and e-bikes.

Introduce a 10-year strategy for a low-carbon haulage sector

OTHER TRANSPORT:

Allow the NTA to work with local authorities to develop transport strategies with a strong legal basis in our cities, towns and regions.

Enable schools, workplaces and other institutions to stagger opening and closing times to avoid gridlock and public transport overload.

Review and reduce speed limits to address both road safety issues and carbon emissions

Run a pilot to examine the potential for ride sharing apps to improve rural transport.

RATING:

The allocation of 10% of the total transport capital budget for cycling projects and an allocation of 10% of the total capital budget for pedestrians shows the heavy Green influence in this area and is unheard of in government programmes. Also, the 2:1 ratio of public transport to roads shows real commitment – it also comes with the buffer, if roads are underfunded some year, it won’t bring down funding in public transport.

TOURISM

Make 2023 the Year of the Invitation – a global invitation to visit Ireland on the 10-year anniversary of The Gathering.

Initiate a consultation process with communities along the entire Wild Atlantic Way with a view to creating a continuous walking route from Malin at the top of Donegal to Kinsale in Cork.

Initiate a consultation process with communities along the coastline from Carlingford Lough to Cobh in Cork, with a view to creating a new tourism trail, the Irish Sea Way, along the east and southeast coast to boost tourism.

Work with the Northern Irish Executive to create a coastal tourist trail, linking the Wild Atlantic Way, the Causeway Costal Route and along our eastern and southern coast – creating one long trail around Ireland

Work with EU to introduce new tourism-specific funding supports for Member States and to allow maximum flexibility in State Aid rules to enable the provision of timely and appropriate supports.

Develop and promote Ireland as a long-stay tourism destination to spread tourism more evenly across the country. This will help ‘reduce emissions and maximise economic return’.

An integrated national network of greenways to be used by commuters, students, leisure cyclists and tourists.

Support cross-border greenway projects, such as the Sligo-Enniskillen Greenway, and continue to fund longer-term projects across the country like the Galway to Dublin Greenway, Fingal Coastal Way and the extension of the Waterford greenway into the city centre.

Work with the Northern Ireland Executive to deliver the cross-border Ulster Canal project in order to restore the all-island inland water system as a premier tourism attraction.

Expand the Walks Scheme to achieve a target of 80 trails.

RATING:

Vast greenway and walkway projects to all down the east, west and, linking up with Northern Ireland, across the north coast. It would essentially create a near circular path (only Kinsale to Cobh, for whatever reasons, prevents them from all linking up) Again we see the large Green influence on this area, which had been happening anyway under the current Government.

INSURANCE REFORM

Establish a cabinet sub-committee to deal urgently with insurance reform.

Get tough on insurance fraud by increased coordination between gardaí and the insurance industry and the Garda Economic Crime Bureau, which deals with fraud. Under new structures, it will train and support Gardaí in every division.

Also, increasing the penalties for fraudulent claims and introducing a law perjury, making the offence easier to prosecute. (Until now, it was a matter for the courts under common law.)

This will include broadening the scope of the Perjury and Related Offences Bill, ensuring that the maximum penalty should equal the maximum penalties for largely similar offences in the Civil Liability and Courts Act 2004.

Also exploring the feasibility of obliging fraudulent claimants to pay the legal expenses for defendants.

RATING:

The Government was moving in this direction anyway but the coalition shows real commitment to taking on perjury, which is often committed in Irish courts, as recognised by judges, but rarely prosecuted. Burdening fraudsters with legal costs could well help cut down on insurance costs

ENVIRONMENT

An average 7% per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030 (a 51% reduction over the decade) and to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The 2050 target will be set in law by the Climate Action Bill which will be introduced in the Dáil within the first 100 days of government alongside a newly established Climate Action Council.

Set out a pathway for the third carbon budget to drive on reductions from 2030 onwards to achieve full de-carbonisation and net sequestration by 2050.

A ban on new registrations of petrol and diesel cars from 2030.

A strategy for remote working and remote service delivery, taking advantage of the opportunity for rapid roll out of the National Broadband Plan.

A transformational programme including investment in marine sequestration, environmentallyfriendly hydrogen, wave technology, floating offshore wind turbines off the Atlantic coastline, improved animal breeding programmes, feed additives to reduce methane emissions from cows and other animals, agroforestry, paludiculture (agricuture on peatland) and nutrient management.

Industry audits to meet climate objectives – particularly in food, cement and refrigeration).

Expansion of energy micro generation including roof top solar energy.

A new strategy to expand forestation, particularly Close to Nature Forestry and agro-forestry.

AIR QUALITY:

Develop a regional approach to air quality and noise enforcement.

Develop a multi-agency approach to clamping down on the sale of high sulphur content fuel imported from the UK, with local authorities and the Revenue Commissioners involved.

Invest in our network of monitoring stations, to provide scientific evidence of air quality across different parts of the country, including real-time and localised air quality information.

Extend the smoky coal ban to new towns and over the term of government move towards a full nationwide ban.

CLIMATE GOVERNANCE

Set a target to decarbonise the economy by 2050 at the latest. Make the adoption of five-year

carbon budgets, setting maximum emissions by sector, a legal requirement.

Establish the Climate Action Council on an independent statutory footing and ensure greater gender balance and increased scientific expertise in its membership.

Update the Climate Action Plan annually and report progress quarterly.

RATING:

The Greens got their way with the 7% reduction on carbon year on year, with a target to decarbonise by 2050. However, there are caveats for farmers and Fianna Fáil TDs are already signalling that they will not accept heavy taxation on farmers. Although ambitious, this area will prove highly contentious and would be a source of cabinet table friction over the next five years. ENERGY

At least 70% renewable electricity by 2030. The coalition plans to:

Hold the first Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) auction by the end of 2020, which allows companies to bid for renewable energy contracts, with auctions held each year thereafter, including the first RESS auction for offshore wind in 2021.

Give priority to the drafting of the Marine Planning and Development Bill so that it is published as soon as possible and enacted within nine months.

Complete the Celtic Interconnector to connect Ireland’s electricity grid to France.

Commence planning for future inter-connection with our neighbours.

Finalise and publish the Wind Energy Guidelines ‘having regard to the public consultation which has just taken place’. Windfarms have been met with intense hostility in some areas, and this will likely be reflected in the government’s guidelines.

Develop a solar energy strategy for rooftop and ground-based photovoltaics to ensure that a greater share of our electricity needs are met through solar power.

Ensure that the energy efficiency potential of smart meters starts to be deployed in 2021 and that all mechanical electricity meters are replaced by 2024.

Incentivise electricity storage and interconnection.

Invest in research and development in ‘green’ hydrogen (generated using excess renewable energy) as a fuel for power generation, manufacturing, energy storage and transport.

Harvest is potential of at least 30GW of offshore floating wind power in our deeper waters in the Atlantic.

5GW capacity in offshore wind by 2030 off Ireland’s Eastern and Southern coasts.

Prioritise the development of microgeneration, letting people sell excess power back to the grid by June 2021.

Support a new Green Flag programme for communities building on the successful programme in schools.

REGULATION ON CLIMATE ACTION:

New standards to reduce emissions from F-gases and new requirements to make lighting more energy efficient. F-gases or fluorinated gases include hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are used in refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump equipment; as blowing agents for foams; as solvents; and in fire extinguishers and aerosols. Another type, Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), are typically used in the electronics sector (for example for plasma cleaning of silicon wafers).

Efficiency standards for equipment and processes, particularly those set to grow rapidly such as Data Centres.

Expectations for ‘Obligated Entities’ to use carbon credits. Under existing law, Obligated Entities are required to have energy audits every four years. They are all private companies with 250 or more employees and/or an annual turnover in excess of €50million and having an annual balance sheet total of over €43million.

DECARBONISING ENERGY PRODUCTION:

End issuing of new licenses for exploration and extraction of gas, on the same basis as the recent decision in relation to oil exploration and extraction.

Support the tightening of the sustainability assessment rules prior to the approval of any projects on the EU Projects of Common Interest (PCI) list. PCIs are projects involving more than one Member State – such as cross-border electricity projects.

Ensure that Bord na Móna is required to take into account climate, biodiversity, and water objectives through an amendment to the Turf Development Acts 1998.

Prohibit LNG gas import terminals importing fracked gas, accordingly the government shall withdraw the Shannon LNG terminal from the EU Projects of Common Interest list in 2021.

No support for the importation of fracked gas and shall develop a policy statement to establish that approach.

WASTE:

Continue and expand the Clean Oceans Initiative to collect, reduce and reuse marine litter and clean up our marine environment. Phase out singe-use plastics. Examine the potential of a municipal compost system for biodegradable packaging.

Intend to introduce a deposit and return scheme for plastic bottles and aluminum cans in line with the findings of a recently commissioned report.

NATURAL HERITAGE AND BIODIVERSITY

The establishment of a Citizens’ Assembly on biodiversity.

Publish a new National Pollinator Plan and encourage public bodies to promote and protect biodiversity.

Review the protection (including enforcement of relevant legislation) of our natural heritage, including hedgerows, native woodland and wetlands.

Develop a new National Invasive Species Management Plan.

Support local nature groups and local authorities to work in partnership on local biodiversity projects.

Continue to raise awareness of biodiversity through initiatives like the Annual Biodiversity Awards Scheme.

Building on the success of the UNESCO Dublin Bay Biosphere, achieve further UNESCO designations for Irish sites, including the Lough Allen region. RATING:

When the policy states that it will implement the Wind Energy Guidelines ‘having regard to the public consultation which has just taken place’, its a clear signal that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael want to soften expectations and give themselves an opt out. The figures are ambitious – 70% renewable energy by 2030, but how that will be reached, or even measured, will be a source of contention. HEALTH:

Quickly identify the impact of Covid-19 on the 10-year Sláintecare programme, which is a long-term framework for healthcare. Increase homecare hours and introduce a Statutory Homecare Scheme. Extend free GP care to more children.

Extend free-GP care to carers in receipt of the Carer’s Support Grant.

Abolish in-patient hospital charges for children.

Extend free dental care to more children.

Introduce baby boxes for all new parents.

Reduce prescription charges and the Drug Payment Scheme threshold.

Increase the income threshold on medical cards for people over 70.

Extend discretionary medical cards to those with a terminal illness.

Introduce a cap on the maximum daily charge for car parking charge for patients and visitors at all public hospitals, where possible. Introduce flexible passes in all hospitals

for patients and their families.

Establish a National Medicines Agency, promoting national prescribing to reduce the cost of medicines including via generic prescription where appropriate, and to set a fair price for drug reimbursement.

Retain access to private health services ensuring choice for those accessing healthcare.

COMMUNITY CARE

Developing Community Healthcare Networks supporting the expansion of services based on the need and size of local populations.

Targeting increasing opening times for unscheduled care, radiology and diagnostic services in the community.

Strengthening general practice – implement the contract with GPs, sustain out-of-hours and rural services and increase GP training places, including for GP with Special Interest qualifications.

Establishing a Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) type programme for health, providing GP practices, community pharmacies and public health staff with dedicated additional resources to communities, focused on improved health outcomes and driven by strong data.

Rolling out the chronic disease management programme.

Increasing telemedicine and virtual clinics based on the very positive usage and experience during the Covid-19 crisis. Supporting the Dialogue Forum working with voluntary organisations to build a stronger working relationship between the State and the voluntary healthcare sector.

Commencing talks with our pharmacists on a new contract and enhancement of their role in the delivery of healthcare in the community, including via e-prescribing and issuance of repeat prescriptions.

Supporting the expansion of community ophthalmology (eye disorders) and the wider adoption of the Sligo pilot model.

INCREASE CAPACITY:

Open the National Children’s Hospital. Deliver the second cath lab (a lab that has advanced diagnostic equipment) in Waterford University Hospital. Conclude the governance arrangements and commence the building of the new maternity Hospital at St Vincent’s Hospital.

Provide new radiation oncology facilities in Galway and Dublin.

Through the Design and Dignity Programme renovate and renew eleven mortuaries across the country.

Increase capacity in our National Ambulance Service and expand Community First Responder schemes.

Roll out Individual Health Identifier programme ensuring patient information is accessible across different services to improve patient safety. This will allow direct patient access to view and correct inaccurate information.

Implement an Electronic Health Record system in the new National Children’s Hospital, and prepare to roll out nationwide.

Explore the potential for introducing a 24 hour triage and health concerns telephone and website service which helps to direct patients into appropriate streams of care.

SUPPORTING OUR HEALTHCARE WORKERS:

Recruit additional community staff, including public health nurses and allied health professionals such as occupational therapists, physiotherapists, dementia advisers and speech and language therapists.

Establish an expert group on nursing and midwifery to advance the nursing and midwifery professions.

Increase the number of public only consultants in our hospitals.

Transfer GP training to the Irish College of General Practitioners.

WOMEN’S HEALTH

There is now an increased focus on women’s health issues, together with greater scrutiny of women’s experiences of health care and it is incumbent upon us to act.

Provide free contraception over a phased period, starting with women aged 17-25.

Enact the Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR) Bill.

Introduce a publicly funded model of care for fertility treatment.

Extend BreastCheck to those aged 69.

Progress the planning, tender and design stages for the relocation of the Coombe Hospital to St James’s, the Rotunda Hospital to Connolly, and Limerick University Maternity Hospital to University Hospital Limerick.

Establish ‘exclusion zones around medical facilities’ as an action against anti-abortion protesters.

TOBACCO AND NICOTINE

Increase the excise duty on tobacco in the years ahead to further discourage smoking.

Bring in a targeted taxation regime to specifically discourage ‘vaping’ and e-cigarettes.

Ban the sale of nicotine-inhaling products, including e-cigarettes, to people under 18 years, introduce a licensing system for the retail sale of nicotine-inhaling products and restrict the types of retailers who can sell these products.

Curb the advertising of nicotineinhaling products near schools, on public transport and in cinemas.

CHILDREN’S HEALTH

Introduce planning restrictions on outlets selling high calorie ‘junkfood’ and beverages adjacent to schools.

Extend the oral health promotion programme to reach all children in primary schools.

EXERCISE

Support business to have adequate shower and changing facilities to support workers who cycle and run to work.

Encourage close collaboration between the Departments of Education, Health and Sport and sporting organisations to encourage physical activity amongst children, in particular at primary school.

SCREENING AND IMMUNISATION

Examine the possibility of introducing a national immunisation register. Extend BreastCheck to women aged 69 and BowelScreen to all aged 55-74. Make the flu vaccine available to more people without charge.

MENTAL HEALTH:

Expansion of mental health supports to be made available to both parents and parents of adopted children.

Open the new National Forensic Mental Hospital in Portrane, north County Dublin.

Complete the update of the 2001 Mental Health Act, including amendments to allow young people, aged 16-17 years old, the right to consent to treatment for their mental health.

ELDERLY PATIENTS:

Increase homecare hours. Expand Community Intervention Teams to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and to support timely discharges of patients to their homes.

Ensure that community services assign a case manager for older people with chronic conditions to assist them with accessing the care they need.

Develop the role of advanced nurse practitioners in older person services and chronic disease management.

Increase the availability of stepdown facilities – nursing homes and other ways to free up the number of hospital beds.

Increase access to talk therapies and improve access to specialist expertise when it is required in line with Sharing the Vision – A Mental Health Policy for Everyone. Develop a plan aimed at tackling loneliness and isolation, particularly amongst older people as outlined in the Roadmap for Social Inclusion.

RATING:

Reams and reams of material about how we are going to get out of coronavirus, but much of it is already

well hashed out government policy, as is the increase in stepdown homes to free up hospital beds. The increase in home medical visits for the elderly will be welcome by representative groups, and could help free older people from many hours in emergency departments waiting rooms.

HOUSING: OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

Progress a State-backed affordable home purchase scheme to promote home ownership.

Increase the social housing stock by over 50,000 over the next fiveyears, the majority of which are to be built by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and State agencies.

Improve the supply and affordability of rental accommodation and the security of tenure for renters.

Ensure the HSE provides a dedicated funding line and resources to deliver the necessary health and mental health supports required to assist homeless people with complex needs.

Ensure Rent Supplement and Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) levels are adequate to support vulnerable households while we increase the supply of social housing.

Provide seed capital to local authorities to provide serviced sites at cost in towns and villages to allow individuals and families build homes.

Retain and expand the Help to Buy scheme for new properties and self-build properties.

Expand the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan.

Strengthen the Mortgage-toRent scheme and ensure that it is helping those who need it.

PLANNING AND REFORM

Introduce a ‘use it or lose it’ condition for all planning applications of ten units or more.

Review and reform the judicial review process so that such reforms come into effect upon the establishment of the Environmental and Planning Law Court.

Examine the creation of an independent Building Standards Regulator to oversee building control nationwide and to act as custodian of the Building Control Management System, including the reestablishment of the Building Regulatory Advisory Body.

RATING:

An increase in social housing stock by 50,000 is in response to the general election outcry and is quite doable and there will be more pressure on those who seek planning permission to get on with their projects. Sinn Féin will be on their coalition’s back for the next five years and are already complaining that it doesn’t go far enough

AGRICULTURE AND FOOD

Establish a well-funded common agricultural policy transition period and new CAP to maintain investment levels in the rural economy

Seek reforms to the CAP to reward farmers for sequestering carbon, restoring biodiversity, improving water and air quality, producing clean energy and developing schemes that support results-based outcomes.

Support the beef, dairy, sheep, pig, poultry, tillage and horticulture sectors in the context of the next CAP through on-farm investment, the development of producer groups, animal welfare measures and marketing tools such as Protected Geographical Indicator (PGI) status.

Work with farmers to improve the viability of dairy calf-to-beef systems.

Support farmers who wish to add value through on-farm processing of their milk.

Deliver an incremental and ambitious reduction in the use of inorganic nitrogen fertiliser through to 2030.

Publish a National Soils Strategy that will assess all appropriate soil health parameters and will inform future policies on good soil management practices.

ANIMAL MANAGEMENT:

Support the development of high-welfare outdoor-reared pig and poultry sector, in addition to existing production systems. Ensure robust and consistent enforcement of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act. Support a doubling of the ex-gratia funding for animal welfare organisations within two years. Promote responsible pet ownership. Extend the badger vaccination programme nationwide and end badger culling as soon as possible, consistent with the best scientific and veterinary advice.

Regulate the breeding, ownership, sale or supply of exotic species.

Prioritise equine welfare based on a robust traceability system, building on existing inspectorate supports across the country and ensuring a consistent approach to dealing with horse welfare issues across local authorities.

Develop additional urban horse welfare programmes, working with local authorities, charities and communities to provide stabling facilities and educational programmes.

Research potential into the utilisation of dual-purpose breeds, and the viability of ‘calf-at-foot’ dairy models on Irish dairy farms.

RATING:

Carefully worded to balance Green ambitious with Fine Gael and Fianna Fail’s aim not to lose the rural vote. There will be unspecified rewards for farmers for sequestration of carbon. Plenty of vague promises on animal welfare without clear commitments. An end to badger culling, to be replaced with badger vaccination, will please the Greens but it’s hard to imagine all farmers will be happy with it.