General election: Parties target city voters on second full day of campaign

Policy proposals on how to improve the quality of life in Dublin and other urban areas feature strongly in the second full day of general election campaigning by political parties.
Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil, the Social Democrats and the Labour Party are all on the election trail in the capital.
Mary Lou McDonald, the Sinn Féin leader is expected to attend a “Save Moore Street” rally before going to a Remembrance Sunday service in St Patrick’s Cathedral and canvassing elsewhere in Dublin.
Fianna Fáil is launching a policy document on “supporting urban committees” with proposals for improving the lives of people living, working and visiting Ireland’s cities.
The Social Democrats will be outlining their plan to “restore and revive” Dublin with Dublin Central candidate Gary Gannon and former TD Róisín Shortall leading the charge on that.
The Social Democrats have promised dedicated Garda unit for policing events and protests and measures to boost the number of people living in Dublin city centre in a proposal aimed at reviving the capital.
Dublin Central candidate Gary Gannon said Dublin is a “wonderful city” but said that “over the last number of years, Dublin has felt like it’s going to decline to the absence of State intervention”.
The party’s Dublin Northwest candidate Rory Hearne, who is seeking to hold former party co-leader Róisín Shortall’s seat after her retirement, said Government plans to encourage people to live over shops have not been effective.
The party highlighted a proposal that would allow Dublin City Council to levy a tax that would be higher than the vacant homes tax with the revenues ring-fenced to bring such buildings back into use.
And Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik will hold an event in the capital to unveil her party’s candidates.
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Simon Harris will be on a dash around Cork, Limerick, Galway and Athlone as he seeks to drum up support for his party, Fine Gael.
And Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin will be campaigning in Tipperary.
Much of the debate on Saturday centred around support for businesses.
Taoiseach Simon Harris has moved to scotch fears that Fine Gael’s plans to reduce the VAT rate or the hospitality sector from 13.5 to 11 per cent could result in an increase in energy prices for homeowners and businesses.  
Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin had expressed concern that the Fine Gael proposal could have a knock-on effect of raising VAT rates on electricity and gas for Ireland to adhere to EU regulations.
The rate had previously been cut to 9 per cent to support such businesses during the pandemic before being restored to 13.5 per cent.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin said his party did not “rule anything out” in terms of supporting a VAT change. However, he said what was needed was a broad review of tax rates for all businesses.
Fianna Fáil’s proposals for urban communities includes measures aimed at combating antisocial behaviour and plans for a €175 million fund to support disadvantaged areas including hiring community workers and investment in new facilities.
Sinn Féin’s finance spokesman Pearse Doherty described the Fine Gael proposals as “half-baked” and “laughable”, given that it had “only last week rejected Sinn Féin’s proposal to reduce VAT for the hospitality sector – excluding hotels – to 9 per cent”.
Paul Murphy TD will be joined in Tallaght by People Before Profit leader Richard Boyd Barrett TD to campaign on the high cost of living in The Square Shopping Centre.