There will be a Citizen’s Convention dealing with the 8th Amendment in the next 6 months

The 32nd Dáil's Programme for government has been published today.

Positively, an action plan on housing will be put in place within the first 100 days of the government's formation. Enda Kenny told RTÉ that the programme is an extensive document but: 'at its core is a simple objective: to make people's lives better in every part of Ireland.' The policy recommendations include the implementation of an obesity plan, a task force to improve rural broadband, and a national treatment purchase fund to reduce waiting lists in the country's hospitals. In terms of housing the government hopes to create 25,000 new homes every year by 2020, and they have also vowed to create 200,000 jobs by 2020. The 8th amendment is also addressed in the document, with the government announcing that there will be a Constitutional Convention in the next six months where the issue of free safe and legal abortion will be discussed among other constitutional matters. (via MerrionStreet.ie) The government has also outlined a mental health strategy involving Wellbeing being taught in schools by 2017, extending primary counselling services to those on low incomes, and recognition and assistance for GPs, as many individuals with mental health problems visit their GP first.