Micheal Martin has said he is “absolutely committed” to serving three years as taoiseach as he hailed the ambition of a new draft programme for government, which is expected to lead to the formation of Ireland’s next government.
The programme was published on Wednesday as Fianna Fail and Fine Gael held parliamentary party meetings to sign off on the 162-page document.
Smaller class sizes, reduced childcare costs and more gardai are among the measures included.
Simon Harris will take on the role of Taoiseach from mid-November 2027 (Niall Carson/PA)
The governmental plan, agreed between the two main parties and independent TDs, also confirms that Mr Martin will hold the office of taoiseach until November 16 2027.
It will then rotate to the leader of Fine Gael, Simon Harris for at least two years.
It will now be the subject of approval by the party memberships over the coming days before a new taoiseach is nominated next Wednesday.
Mr Martin told RTE that he hoped to become Irish premier for the second time.
He added: “I am absolutely committed to serving out the term because there is an agenda of change and I will work every day of those three years to do what I can to get this programme for government delivered to make life better for people.”
The current Tanaiste described the draft programme for government as ambitious and denied that environmental issues would be less of a priority than in the previous government.
He said: “The programme is as ambitious as the last programme was in respect of the need to address climate change and the challenges of biodiversity.”
He also predicted the new blueprint would deliver in terms of new houses being delivered more quickly.
Mr Martin said: “We have seen progress on housebuilding, but not enough and it needs to be faster.
“We have got to get the agencies of state and the mechanisms available to the public service to deliver housing faster.
“We have a Planning Act that we didn’t have at the commencement of the last government.
“That will hopefully enable us to get decisions more quickly in respect of housing and other infrastructure.
“That is the other big piece of this programme for government, infrastructure delivery in terms of roads, public rail and so on.”
Among its measures include the aim to reduce the general pupil-teacher ratio at primary level to 19:1 over the term of government; creating a new public transport security force that would have similar powers to the existing airport police; and reducing the cost of childcare to 200 euros per month per child.
The draft document includes a pledge to establish a new unit for “future planning” as well as commitments on “a focus on reform at the heart of all Government”.
Members of the Regional Independent Group Michael Lowry and Gillian Toole, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, Noel Grealish, and Barry Heneghan speaking after a deal was reached to form Ireland’s next government with an agreement finalised between Fianna Fail Fine Gael and the Regional Independent Group (Brian Lawless/PA)
A new public sector pay deal will be linked to the reform agenda, it said.
On housing, the programme includes a pledge to ramp up construction capacity to meet new targets of more than 300,000 new homes by the end of 2030.
Elsewhere on health measures, the Government says it will explore restrictions on the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks, including “a ban on their sale to children” as well as ensuring the administration of dermal fillers is only undertaken by trained healthcare professionals.
It also pledges to roll out contactless fare payments on all public transport and keep fares low and affordable.
Turning to migration, the Government said that those who are processed under the border procedure will not be authorised to enter Ireland.
Their applications, appeals and removal decisions must be processed within three months, and this includes will include people who have arrived by crossing the land border with Northern Ireland.
Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin (Cillian Sherlock/PA)
The agreement came following negotiations by teams from Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Regional Independent Group.
Regional Independent Group member Noel Grealish will take up the role as super junior minister in the Department of Agriculture, while Sean Canney will be the super junior minister at the Department of Transport.
Meanwhile, Longford-Westmeath TD Kevin “Boxer” Moran will take up a junior role in the Office of Public Works, while Sligo-Leitrim TD Marian Harkin will take a junior role in the Department of Higher Education.
Members of Regional Independent Group (left to right) Michael Lowry, Barry Heneghan and Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran after a deal was reached to form Ireland’s next government (Brian Lawless/PA)
Speaking on behalf of the Regional Independent Group, Michael Lowry said: “We’ve worked hard, we’ve put in a long stint, and we have got a result that is very satisfactory for us.
“Boxer will take up his position in the Office of Public Works. He’s very familiar with it. He did a fantastic job the last time he was in the Office of Public Works.
“For Boxer to lose his seat at the last election, to bounce back, command the respect and support of the people of his constituency and to come back here on his first week to be appointed to the Office of Public Works is a massive personal achievement.”
Earlier on Wednesday, it was confirmed that Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae will take a junior minister post in the next government.
Danny Healy-Rae and Michael Healy-Rae speak to the media outside Leinster House, Dublin, after it was confirmed that Michael will take up a junior role in the new government (Cate McCurry/PA)
The Kerry TD refused to say which department he will be in, adding it is a matter for the incoming taoiseach.
Mr Healy-Rae, who will take up a position in Government for the first time, also declined to say if he had secured any deals for his constituency but that the people of Kerry will see the benefits of having the Healy-Rae brothers in Government.
Speaking on Wednesday morning, he said that after many years in opposition, he and his brother Danny want to work in government to better their home county of Kerry.
Asked which department he will be in, Mr Healy-Rae said: “At the end of the day, the giving out of any positions, it’s obviously a matter for the incoming taoiseach, we will respect that role.
“It is fair to say that there is an arrangement in place where there will be a role at a department at a minister of state level for the Healy-Raes.
“It’s fair to say that that role will be going in my direction but as for what that’s going to be, that’s obviously for the direction of the incoming taoiseach.”
The support of the Healy-Raes now brings the number of TDs backing the next government to 95 TDs.
A full draft programme for Government is to be published later on Wednesday, following Fine Gael and Fianna Fail’s parliamentary party meetings.
The document took several weeks to compile following a lengthy negotiation process.