LIVE: Election 2024 — Sinn Féin promises 'peer review' of RTÉ's ...

Asked at the launch of the document if it was appropriate for any political party to promise to intervene in the work of RTÉ, Mary Lou McDonald said that this was merely a case of seeking to ensure "trust" in the broadcaster.

"We talk a lot about where people access their information and trusted sources of information. And this is a challenge in a world where news and comment is now 24/7 and it's coming at people from all directions,” she said.

“The conflict in Gaza is particularly cited because, obviously it is horrific what we are viewing, and we are viewing it through the prism of the television screen. 

"It is a genocide that is being televised, and we think it's a healthy thing and a necessary thing for conflicts and events like that that have such immense significance and consequences, that there is an exercise like that in oversight,” she added.

The Sinn Féin leader said such reviews happen in “virtually every professional walk of life” and such an undertaking would be “very healthy and very worthwhile”.

Fine Gael Senator and general election candidate for Cork South-Central Jerry Buttimer said that such an intervention was a breach of the station's independence.

"Sinn Féin’s latest attack on the media comes in the form of a review into ‘coverage by RTÉ’ – a clear breach of political independence from our national broadcaster," Mr Buttimer said.

“Tellingly, the Sinn Féin manifesto also fails to include a single mention of defamation; indicative of where the Party stands on the rights of journalists.

“Sinn Féin have repeatedly used SLAPP suits to gag the media, and their manifesto exposes their complete lack of interest in protecting free and open journalism. As their track record shows, they’re far more interested in bullying and intimidating members of our media.

“Now, when they’re not suing or threatening journalists, they want to go into RTÉ’s control booths and decide editorial content."

An RTÉ spokesperson said: "Impartiality and objectivity are among the cornerstone principles of RTÉ and the organisations own journalism guidelines. Section 46L (1) of the Online Safety & Regulation Act 2022 imposes a specific obligation to report in 'an objective and impartial manner and without any expression of the broadcaster's own views.

"The Oireachtas established CnaM as an independent statutory body with power to hold broadcasters accountable for compliance with the legislation and the broadcasting codes."

Earlier: Tánaiste hits out at delayed publication of Sinn Féin manifesto

Update 2.20pm: Tánaiste Micheál Martin has described the delayed publication of Sinn Féin’s election manifesto until after last night’s 10-person leaders' debate as “somewhat insulting to the public”.  

“I thought it was somewhat incredible that Sinn Féin didn’t produce a manifesto before it, or that the Social Democrats didn’t either,” he said.  

Micheál Martin at the Ballyjamesduff cattle mart in Co Cavan. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Speaking to reporters at the Ballyjamesduff cattle mart, Mr Martin said that “it really was extraordinary that they tried to get away without having a manifesto published, that needs to be said”.  

Both parties had published their manifesto as of Tuesday morning.  

Mr Martin said that, notwithstanding the absence of their manifesto, Sinn Féin’s position on housing and the economy “did come across” at the debate, and that he felt the main opposition party “is very weak on first-time buyers”.  

Mr Martin underlined one of the main disagreements between the three largest parties, in that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael wish to maintain the current swathe of first-time buyer supports and Sinn Féin would stop them.

"There will be about 125,000 first-time buyers over the next five years and Sinn Féin wants to get rid of the supports that are in place," Mr Martin said.

Asked if the Taoiseach Simon Harris’ defence of his party’s ongoing support for embattled senator John McGahon is appropriate, Mr Martin reiterated that the violence depicted in a video of Mr McGahon striking farmer Breen White in the face is “shocking” and “unacceptable”.  

The Tánaiste also dismissed the suggestion that the ‘phoney war’ between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael seen since the start of the campaign might have ended given the civil relations apparently depicted between the two party leaders at the debate. Mr Martin and Mr Harris were stood next to each other for the debate.

“I’m intrigued by the observations,” he said, adding that the placing of candidates at the debate had been a matter for RTÉ.

Sinn Féin pitches childcare cap and USC cuts

Update 12.25pm: Capped childcare by next September, an abolition of USC on the first €45,000 earned and the end of third-level fees are among the pledges in Sinn Féin's election manifesto.

The party this morning launched the 180-page document[/url] in Dublin, with leader Mary Lou McDonald telling voters that her party was the "only one who can deliver a change in government" and asking the public to "give us that chance".

Party leader Mary Lou McDonald with Eoin Ó Broin, David Cullinane, and Pearce Doherty, as they launch Sinn Féin's election manifesto at Smock Alley Theatre in Temple Bar. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/©RollingNews.ie

The party's housing plan, published last month, sets out targets of building 370,000 homes within five years, 75,000 of those being social and 50,000 either affordable rent or purchase as well as a plan to deliver homes for around €250,000 on state lands. 

The party would phase out the Help To Buy scheme and would use what spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin said was "the stick" around those who sit on vacant homes.

"Hoarding land in a housing crisis is like hoarding food in a famine," Mr Ó Broin said.

In health, outgoings Waterford TD David Cullinane said that the party would deliver:

Free prescription medication for all  Deliver median-income health cards  Full public health coverage by 2035 

Finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty said that the abolition of USC under €45,000 would cost €1.84bn and that workers on under €100,000 would see €2,000 in cuts to their tax.

Mr Doherty said that the party would introduce a mini budget in the first 100 days of its government in order to enact its USC cut and childcare plans.