Green promises at the last election

These are the promises made by the Green Party at the 2007 election:

Housing - Ensure the delivery of 10,000 social and affordable housing units a year until the housing waiting lists are cleared.

Health - Provide an additional 4000 beds to cut A&E queues. Introduce medical cards for children under 6.

Child Care - Replace the Early Childcare Supplement with a higher Refundable Parenting Tax Credit available as a cash payment or used to reduce income tax bills.

Education - Invest €1 billion in education for the first year of the next Government to front-load educational priorities. Provide 2,400 extra teachers at primary and secondary levels.

Transport - Prioritise the Dublin Metro and Luas extensions, provide Luas-type lines in Cork and Galway and introduce commuter services on existing railway lines in Limerick and a line to Shannon .

Energy/Climate Change - Seek an all-party approach to cut carbon emissions by 3% annually through renewable energy and improved building standards.

Tax - Reduce both VAT rates by 1%. Index-link tax credits and bands to protect workers from inflation and avoid taxation by stealth.

Social Welfare - Benchmark the lowest social welfare payment for a single person at 50% of average income.

Crime - Provide for a systematic increase in Garda numbers - at least 15,000 are needed. Establish an Organised Crime Agency.

Environment - Increase spending on sewage treatment infrastructure in key towns and villages under development pressure.

Political Reform - Ban corporate donations to political parties.

Carers- Abolish means-testing of the carers’ allowance.

Pension - increase the basic pension from 30% of average income to 60%.

The Green Party in Government...it’s time...(From the Green Party Manifesto, 2007)

"Each increase for the Greens in the polls has been followed by half-hearted attempts by successive governments to court a Green vote. But the threats faced now are too urgent and it is clear that the Green Party needs to be in Government to bring about the necessary changes.

"Political change is required across all Government departments, whether it’s providing better public transport services, improving building standards or ensuring that jobs, shops, schools and hospitals are provided close to where people live.

Who do you trust to take the climate change challenge seriously – the party that said all along that this was happening or the parties that denied it? Who do you trust to stand up to the vested interests – parties that depend on donations from big business or a party that refuses to allow itself to be bought?

"And that is why we say to you now: if you want Green -"