'Another Ireland is possible', says PBP-Solidarity candidate

People Before Profit-Solidarity have announced that Dave Smyth has been selected as the party’s candidate for the Longford/Westmeath constituency for the general election.

Mr Smyth says that he is "proud" to have been selected to be the People Before Profit-Solidarity candidate for the constituency.

"In this election we will have the opportunity to finally end 100 years of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil rule. They leave a legacy of a housing crisis, hospital waiting lists and a chronic lack of additional needs resources and supports for children. It’s long past time to be rid of them.

"Another Ireland is possible. An Ireland in which we invest the wealth in public services, to establish an Irish NHS, to provide free childcare in a public system, and a truly free and inclusive education.

"Wages have lagged inflation for several years, so we need to give workers a break by abolishing the USC. Instead we should tax multi-millionaires. We need rent controls to reduce rent and we need to use the Apple tax to capitalise a state construction company to build the tens of thousands of social and affordable housing units we need.

"We need a left government that takes action to give real solidarity to Palestine – not just the weasel words of Simon Harris and the current government. We need a government that will not scapegoat migrants and refugees for the housing crisis, and will take radical climate action such as making public transport free, retrofitting all housing in the state to a BER of B2 or above, and ban new data centres.

"While other parties flip-flop, we guarantee we will never go in with Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael. We fight to end 100 years of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and for another Ireland."