The newly appointed Taoiseach Simon Harris has begun to prioritise certain political matters and eliminate prospective governmental liabilities as he shapes the plan for his initial weeks at the helm of office. The fresh agenda is set to unveil a plethora of new business and farming initiatives and childcare supports.
Among the policies to be discarded by Mr Harris is a contentious suggestion on the supply of social welfare for the disabled, put forward by the government. He intends to temporarily set aside a planned vote on a European patent court as his focus is directed towards a narrowed list of areas where goals can be achieved before the forthcoming election.
His engagements in Brussels and Warsaw on Thursday and hosting Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, in Dublin on Friday—a meeting in which the recognition of Palestinian statehood by several EU countries was debated—meant that international affairs consumed much of the initial phase of Mr Harris’s term. However, the emphasis is expected to shift to domestic matters, which yield greater political significance, in the upcoming days.
On Friday morning, Mr Harris met with his team of officials at Government Buildings to determine the chief areas of focus for the remainder of the year. It is reported that the officials are considering the formation of a dedicated funding source to assist creche operators in increasing their offerings and aiding other creche owners who have had to cease operations due to a shortage of childcare seats for young parents. They are also deliberating a potential new model of childcare for individuals hailing from disadvantaged communities.
The first assembly of an interdepartmental group to actuate the optional protocol for the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities has been scheduled for this month. The protocol, which is expected to be dated soon, is designed to enable individuals with disabilities to enforce their rights.
Proposed changes to disability reform, encapsulated in the contentious Green Paper on disability—which attracted protesters from disability groups—will be discarded by the government. The changes could have altered the social welfare benefits enjoyed by people with disabilities. Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, publicly confirmed the decision. She assured that a revamped Cabinet committee would thoroughly review the support provided to individuals with disabilities.
The expected referendum on becoming part of the EU patent court is likely to be postponed until next week at the earliest. In addition, the anticipated vote on electing a mayor directly for Dublin is currently on standby without a specific date.
Mr. Harris has intimated to other leaders of the Coalition party that he wants to decide on the continued financing of RTÉ ahead of the summer break, with resolutions relating to hate speech legislation and laws on extending trading hours likely to happen before that time.
[Regrettably, there seems to be a marked lack of political determination to settle on an innovative funding model for RTÉ]
On Monday, the Taoiseach will preside over his maiden meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Housing. It’s expected that an agreement will be made on the exemption of development duties. These are payments made by property developers towards public infrastructure and service costs.
In addition, the leader of Fine Gael has stated his intent to his party members to visit every electoral district in the country before the approaching local and European elections. With the party already preparing for the better part, a source has confirmed the creation of a new group to develop a 5-year tax strategy, one that will likely consider ways to reduce the universal social charge (USC) in future years. While some of the tax commitments being fulfilled by Budget 2025, such as putting fewer workers into the higher tax bracket, a large part of this new strategy will form a significant part of the Fine Gael general election manifesto.
[According to Simon Harris, the ‘new kid on the block’, he’s seen as an ‘unknown quantity’ in Brussels]
In the words of a source, “We’re really eager to bring something fresh to the table”, describing the current USC level as a “real blow” for voters. The document will also highlight tax aids for businesses and entrepreneurs whilst exploring the future of inheritance tax, capital gains tax, carbon tax, and the establishment of new funds worth billions of euros for the future.