Election 2024: What Are The Major Parties’ Stance On Issues That Affect Young People?

With the General Election just around the corner, many of us will be thinking about who to vote for and what parties best represent our beliefs and viewpoints. However, it can be easy to get bogged down with election talk and extraneous detail on party websites and electoral debates. So, what are the major parties’ stance on issues that affect young people? Read on to find out!

3rd Level Fees

Fine Gael – Aims to phase out fees for all third level institutions

Promises to work towards a ‘Second Chance’ Initiative, where students who avail of the SUSI grant to fund their education will not be penalised for switching courses or be obliged to foot the cost for an additional academic year.

Fianna Fáil – Promises to extend the SUSI grant to students in graduate level medicine

Increase the Student Assistant Fund by 5 million euro
Increase the fund for students with disabilities.

Sinn Féin – Aims to completely phase out university fees within the first three years in power

Extend the SUSI Grants scheme to eligible postgraduate students
Increasing the SUSI grants by 15%

Green Party – Extending funding for the SUSI grant to include more students

Social Democrats – Reduce third level fees by phasing out the student contribution charge

Education Policies

Fine Gael – Permanently introduce a double child benefit payment every August to help cover back-to-school costs for families

Extend free GP care for all people under the age of eighteen
Expand the School Meals Scheme to ensure that all students have access to a hot meal each day
Extend free public transport to children with disabilities

Fianna Fáil – Create a target to maintain the teacher-pupil ratio at 1:19 in primary schools

Overhaul guidance services in schools to ensure that all students have the opportunity to avail of career guidance
Ensure the enforcement of the smartphone ban throughout the school day

Sinn Féin – Introduce Irish Sign Language as a Leaving Certificate subject in 2025

Increase the focus on oral Irish at Junior Cycle, to include an oral examination worth 40%
Abolish apprenticeship fees

Green Party – Extend funding for the SUSI grants

Explore the phasing out of homework in primary schools
Invest in safe walking and cycling routes for students

Social Democrats – Reduce teacher student ratios to 20:1 at primary level and 18:1 in secondary schools

Phase out the use of prefabs in schools
To invest in introducing counselling and therapeutic supports for students in all schools

Inclusivity

Fine Gael – Introduce a law to waive historical convictions between couples who engaged in consensual romantic interactions prior to the decriminalisation of homosexuality, to address past injustice against the community

Speak up for the LGBTQ community at home and abroad
Advocate for a coordinated European effort to ensure that all adolescent boys and girls have access to the HPV vaccine
Implement integration and anti-racism education in all schools throughout the country
Promote and fund intercultural events throughout the country to improve integration and build resilience against far-right rhetoric.

Fianna Fáil – Strengthen health and mental health support for marginalised groups i.e. travellers and Roma.

Introduce legislation to ban conversion practices that violate individual rights
Work to support and protect members of the LGBTQ community from discrimination

Sinn Féin – Adding socio-economic discrimination as a ground for discrimination in equality legislation

Create a scheme to disregard historical convictions for consensual sex between LGBTQ couples.
Ensure that all domestic violence shelters that keep women overnight have access to medical card services

Social Democrats – Ensure the end of conversion practices for members of the LGBT community

Introduce a senior ministerial position for disabilities
Hold technological platforms accountable for pushing extreme and pornographic material to young people
Change legislation to ensure that therapy/counselling notes cannot be used in sexual- assault cases

Green Party – Promote the introduction of gender neutral bathrooms in schools

Make all forms of contraception and contraception related GP visits for free
Introduce a gender quota of at least 30% for executive boards of all large companies registered in Ireland

Climate Change

Fine Gael – Invest in capital renewable energy sources i.e. wind farms, solar panels etc

Promote the use of smart metres
Promote the use of solar panels in schools and third level institutions

Fianna Fáil – Increase SEAI grants to fund heat pumps to ensure greater energy efficiency

Create a Minister for State for energy to ensure that their ambitious energy policies will be prioritised and carried through
Work with SOLAS to support apprenticeship programmes to provide training for those who will be carrying out the ground energy reformations.

Sinn Féin – Reforming the energy system to deliver energy as a public good

Work to prevent corporations from dumping new or unused goods
Introduce new legislation that will compel large food retailers to donate unused food instead of dumping it

Social Democrats – Increase the affordability of public transport

Ensure greater enforcement of the national ban on smoky coal
Restore the electric vehicle grant to 5000 euro and increase investment into charging facilities

Green Party – Tighten restrictions on the harmful use of pesticides and insecticides