Greens pledge €10bn for public transport and tax on business class flights

By Grainne Ni Aodha, PA

The Green Party is pledging to pump €10 billion into public transport and to introduce a tax on business class flights as it urged voters to “stick with us”.

At the launch of its election manifesto in Dublin, Roderic O’Gorman said the Green Party had been the “active ingredient” in government and the “driver of change” over the past four years.

He added: “The Green Party is the best value vote out there. We punch above our weight. We deliver for climate action, we deliver for communities and for families, and that’s why we’re asking people to stick with us in this election.”

The Green Party leader and Minister for Children said public transport has been treated like “the poor relation” of the transport system in Ireland, and his party would create a €10 billion multi-annual investment package to “transform public transport” if in government again.

In its manifesto, the party also pledged further reductions in childcare costs, with a policy to make it free for those on low incomes and a maximum cost of €200 a month for other parents.

An extension of maternity, paternity and parents’ leave to cover the entirety of the first year of a child’s life is also being proposed.

On poverty, the manifesto pledges to offer 100 per cent solar panel installation grants to low-income households at risk of energy poverty.

On housing, the party has pledged to establish an online register of derelict sites, extend the Help to Buy scheme to tenants in situ looking to buy from their landlords, and increase the renters’ tax credit in line with inflation.

Mr O’Gorman said Help to Buy would remain a part of the affordability response if the Green Party were to return to government.

He said the Green Party manifesto would be called “A decade of change volume II” to continue pledges first set out in the 2002 general election manifesto.

Asked about the cliche that in filmmaking the sequel is usually worse than the original, Green Party deputy leader Roisin Garvey said that Paul Mescal would make a better Gladiator sequel.

“It’s not that we want a sequel, we need a sequel,” she said.

Green Party Waterford candidate Marc O Cathasaigh was also heard suggesting “The Godfather Part II”.

Mr O’Gorman added: “We have learned a huge amount over the last four-and-a-half years. We’ve gained incredible experience about the day-to-day mechanics of government.”

Asked about a manifesto proposal for a tax on business class flights and private jets, Mr O’Gorman said they estimate it would raise around €105 million.

He said: “I think it’s an important measure in terms of equalising the cost of large-scale air travel and making sure that we are able to take some of the profits from that and reinvest it.”

When asked whether it was appropriate for taxpayers to pay more for ministers who book business class flights, Mr O’Gorman said: “It’s a matter for individual ministers in terms of the destination that they’re choosing, and particularly in terms of how quickly they’re going into a programme of work straight afterwards.”

Asked about their coalition partners Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, Mr O’Gorman said that there were disagreements in government but “there’s never been a significant risk of this government falling apart”.

He added: “Tension, a bit of conflict, that’s important in terms of getting what you want done done, but it has to be managed in such a way that you know you can talk to each other the next day about the next issue and work to get that done as well.”