LABOUR WILL IMPROVE QUALITY & SCOPE OF PUBLIC SERVICES – HOWLIN

Speaking at the launch of ‘Standing Up For Public Services’

Labour has this morning unveiled its plan for public service investment.

‘Standing Up For Public Services’ was launched by Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform, Brendan Howlin, and Minister for Business & Employment, Ged Nash, at Labour’s campaign headquarters. The plan commits to:

• Invest in the services that families and communities need – We will invest €8.368 billion for improvements to the quality and scope of public services.

• Increase public sector numbers – Our plans will increase public sector numbers by over 17,300, with a particular focus on additional staffing in our hospitals, primary care centres, classrooms and Garda stations.

• Improve public sector pay – Under the Lansdowne Road Agreement we are unwinding Fianna Fáil’s public sector pay cuts. We will negotiate a new public sector pay deal in 2018.

• Stand Up for Education – We will reduce class sizes to the lowest level in the history of the state. To achieve this, we will recruit an additional 4,563 classroom teachers, 1,000 resource teachers and 1,000 SNAs.

• Stand Up for Families – We will cap childcare costs at €4.25 per hour, and progressively reduce this to €2 per hour by 2021. We will professionalise the childcare sector, making sure that everyone earns at least the Living Wage.

• Stand Up for Safer Communities – We will recruit an additional 700 Gardaí each year to return the force to peak levels of over 14,500. We will also recruit 1,000 civilian staff to free up a further 1,000 Gardaí for frontline duty.

• Establish a new National Community Health Service – We will continue to roll out free GP care for all, move towards universal health care in the community, and tackle waiting lists and A&E overcrowding. To achieve this, we will recruit an additional 2,800 nurses, 1,163 doctors and consultants, and 2,396 additional healthcare workers.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Brendan Howlin stated: “Labour is the party of public services. That is why we’ve chosen to allocate our available resources on a 3 to 1 basis for spending on vital services over tax cuts.

“Our tax package is moderate and targeted on those who need it most. Those for whom work needs to be rewarded better.

“But our 3:1 spending ratio allows us to do things that other parties cannot. Like employing over 17,000 additional staff to work on frontline services.

“Labour is also committed to paying our public servants fairly. We have made clear our commitment to honour the Lansdowne Road Agreement and negotiate a successor agreement. Unlike others we will not create a crisis in our public services by making unsustainable commitments.”

Minister Ged Nash added: “Labour is planning to invest in public services to a greater extent than any other party. By continuing to roll out free GP care, capping childcare costs, and reducing school costs, we will provide for families.

“To give you some examples, a family living in Laois with two school-going children aged 7 and 9 requiring 15 hours of childcare per week will be better off by €3,550 under Labour’s plan. A couple with a two year old child in childcare will find themselves €2,340 better off per year.”

“Only Labour will raise living standards and ensure better communities. Only Labour will truly deliver for working families.”

ENDS

Link to ‘Standing Up For Public Services’ – http://labr.ie/1QQarNS