Every working day as a doctor, I encounter the devastating effects of decades of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil rule on public health and public services. Workers and carers bear the costs of core public services such as health and housing being left to failing markets to provide. I am standing as a Rabharta candidate to develop a political alternative which puts workers and carers first.

There are many major problems faced by the country which are not being addressed by policy choices made by government parties with an interest in maintaining the status quo. Housing is the major policy failure and is linked to other major issues of public policy such as climate and infrastructure. A public housing programme which eclipses private development is needed, along with proper rent controls at a minimum.

The last government which had a Minister for Climate from the Green Party was expected to take effective and socially just climate action but it has completely failed. Climate policy in Ireland is a wrong-headed mixture of eco-austerity and greenwashing corporations, without significantly reducing carbon emissions or restoring biodiversity. I would use my first speaking time to tell the new government to scrap carbon taxes, subsidise and expand public transport and stop unsustainable FDI developments such as data centres.