Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik settings out six 'key missions' at her party's election manifesto launch on Sunday. Photograph: Pat Leahywill not offer tax cuts but will instead commit to sustained investment in housing, childcare and public services over the next five years, party leader
Some 50,000 extra public servants would be needed over the next five years, Labour says, to deal with extra pressures on public services, and the party also committed to establishing a State building company where construction workers would have public sector pay scales, increments and pensions. The new State company is essential to delivering housing targets of 50,000 new homes every year, plus 50,000 home retrofits, the party said.
Ms Bacik said she had “very positive feedback” about the plan for a State construction company, but she did not have a figure on how many workers it would employ. The document contains plans for average net spending increases of over 5.1 per cent over the next five years – amounting to some €40 billion.