Day 7 Of Campaigning: Sinn Féin's Immigration Policy, Fianna Fáil On Tackling Waiting Times, Labour On Football Investment

It's day seven of the election campaign, and political parties have been launching their manifestos

Now on day seven of the election campaign, political parties have today been launching their manifestos on immigration, climate action, the health service, and football.

There has also been rising tension between parties, as leaders make comments towards other party policies.

Fianna Fáil is pledging to bring down waiting times to a maximum of 12 weeks for all patients, as part of its wide-ranging health policy.

The party says it will ring-fence 35 million euro in additional funding for cancer services, open 100 additional ICU beds, and extend free GP services to all children under 12-years-old.

It also intends to bring in regulations on vaping, which include bans on flavours, disposable vapes restrictions on packaging, and also a ban on vaping in the workplace.

Fianna Fail also wants to restrict the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks, including a ban on selling them to children.

Meanwhile, Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach Simon Harris says his party will commit to abolishing the Carer's Allowance means test and to introducing a new Family Carer Payment of €325 per week if his party is returned to government.

He also says the party's slogan is not 'A New Energy', but rather 'Secure Your Future', saying some people have been pointing to the party's energy slogan, and comparing it to ‘a bottle of Lucozade’.

Harris has also hit back at comments from Sinn Féin, in which leader Mary Lou McDonald criticised Fine Gael's policies, saying they were copied from her party.

The Taoiseach says any similarities are more to with listening to those who are calling for change.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin is committing to halving the turnaround time for international protection applications.

The party launched plans this morning, to set up a new agency to manage immigration.

Party leader, Mary Lou McDonald, says immigration into Ireland isn't too high - but is being mismanaged.

Sinn Féin says it would create a Minister for Reunification, if elected to Government.

The party says it would ramp up the planning process for a United Ireland.

Sinn Féin has also been defending its stance on the location of asylum seeker accommodation centres, which it believes should be focused on "affluent areas".

Labour leader Ivana Bacik has criticised Sinn Fein’s immigration policy, describing it as “very heavy-handed”.

Speaking of the Labour party, today it launched its soccer policy, which details its ambition and vision for football in Ireland.

The party wants to provide significant investment in the game by working closely with the FAI, as well as promising to expand football as a transition year subject, provide a portion of broadcast revenue to League of Ireland clubs and work with the Executive in Northern Ireland to consider the feasibility of an all-island football league.

The Social Democrats launched their climate and nature policy today, saying they will create a revised Climate Action Plan that will allow Ireland reach its international targets by 2030 and avoid up to €8 billion in EU fines.

This would be done by investing €5 billion in renewable energy, including a €200 million research and development fund that would see Ireland become world leaders in floating offshore wind.

Their other key proposals comprise of measures to reduce supply and demand for single-use plastics, moving the biodiversity portfolio from a Minister of State to the remit of the Minister for the Environment and a €5bn investment in state-owned wind energy generation.

They would also introduce a €1 public transport fare for off-peak times to encourage more use of public transport.

Social Democrats TD for Wicklow, Jennifer Whitmore, accused of Fianna Fáil being dishonest with farmers about the scale of the climate transaction required, stating "they have failed to meet targets, they have failed to actually plan and put sufficient measures in place, and to meet our 2030 targets.”

Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman has also questioned the climate credentials of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin, saying it's "not at the front and centre" for the two main government parties.

He said the Greens would be unable to form a government with others who aren't "absolutely committed" to building on the work of the previous coalition around climate.

Aontú launched their Agriculture Policy this morning, which seeks to subsidise fertiliser costs.

The party's agriculture manifesto also promises to provide strong opposition to the attempts to cull the herd, ban turf, and to the Nature Restoration Law.

Aontú is also calling for an increase in CAP and for active farmland to be categorically excluded from the Residential Zoned Land Tax.

People Before Profit is the latest party to launch its election manifesto.

The party aims to make childcare and public transport completely free, as well as promising to cap the price on essentials like food and energy.

They also want to use the Apple tax money to establish a State-run construction company, which the party says could build 30,000 social homes and 5,000 affordable homes per year.