Rabbite promises assistance for homebuyers

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte has unveiled the final two of the five "Commitments for Change" he hopes will bring electoral success to the Labour Party in the upcoming general election.

Announcing the final elements of the Labour Party's election package at the party's annual conference in Dublin tonight, Mr Rabbitte promised his party would ease access to the property ladder for those who cannot afford a home.

Under his proposed 'Begin To Buy' scheme, the state would take out a mortgage on the balance of a house to facilitate purchase for those who cannot afford the full cost of a home.

The final commitment announced by Mr Rabbitte is that the Labour Party will also ensure the introduction of 'more beds in clean hospitals.'

"I want more beds, and I want them in clean hospitals. Its simple and its basic. If we want to reduce the incidence of MRSA, then we have to clean the hospitals. People are entitled to no less," he told the conference.

Promising to implement his plans in government, Mr Rabbitte accused the current Government of "publishing plan after plan and strategy after strategy which will never be delivered."

"We have had enough of that," he insisted.

Referring to his party's Commitments on education, health and crime, Mr Rabbitte said the party was "determined" to put them ideas into action., adding "I guarantee we will deliver [them] in Government."

He said the Labour Party would introduce one year of free pre-school education for every child, saying the Government had "failed to put in place the national system of childcare that our families need, and our children deserve."

The Labour leader repeated the party's committment to increase the numbers of Community Gardai, which he said would be "the most significant change in An Garda Siochana since the 1920s."

He also repeated his pledge to abolish the means test for the carers allowance in order "to recognise [their] work in a concrete and real way."

For the first time since 1969, the Labour Party will have a candidate in each of the country's constituencies ensuring everyone 'who thinks Labour will be able to vote Labour.'