DUBLIN, Ireland: The Labour Party has launched an alternative budget centred on what it calls a "children's budget," proposing a suite of measures aimed at tackling child poverty, supporting families, and addressing Ireland's ongoing housing and childcare crises.

Party leader Ivana Bacik said the plan was designed to place children and young people "at the heart of government priorities," while finance spokesperson Ged Nash TD insisted the proposals were "fully funded through sustainable taxes."

Among Labour's headline commitments are the introduction of free GP care for all children, to be phased in over two years—first extending to under-12s before covering all under-18s—and the abolition of the means test for the Carer's Allowance. The party also proposes a windfall tax on energy companies and data centres, with the revenue directed towards targeted energy supports for households.

Speaking at the launch, Nash drew a sharp contrast between record employment levels and worsening child poverty, saying, "We have record numbers at work, with record numbers of children with no place to call home. We have eye-watering business tax returns side by side with shameful levels of child poverty."

Labour is also pledging to create 6,000 new childcare places across 104 centres within two years, while reducing weekly childcare costs for parents to 50 euros. Marie Sherlock TD criticised the Government's record, accusing coalition parties of engaging in "a bidding war" during the last election, only to let families down afterwards.

In addition, Labour would introduce a second tier of child benefits worth 770 million euros, targeting additional support for families most in need. The party explicitly ruled out cutting VAT for the hospitality sector, a measure strongly lobbied for by industry groups.

On housing, Labour outlined plans to build an additional 6,000 social and affordable homes, convert HSE-owned buildings into accommodation for healthcare workers, and raise the vacant homes tax to ten times the Local Property Tax rate. Housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan TD described the Government's Help to Buy and First Home schemes as "a scam," arguing they only inflate house prices.

The party also pledged to spearhead what climate spokesperson Ciaran Ahern TD called a "retrofitting revolution. " He advocated for a street-by-street retrofitting programme to lower costs through economies of scale and urged the Government to accelerate retrofitting funding, particularly for local authority housing.

Labour's alternative budget arrives at a politically sensitive time, as the Government prepares its own budget amid mounting public frustration over housing shortages, spiralling rents, and persistent child poverty. Bacik said her party's plan demonstrates how resources can be allocated differently, prioritising children and families over tax cuts and subsidies.

"This is about choices," she said. "We are showing that Ireland can afford to invest in children, in housing, and in climate action—if the political will is there."