Introduction A Chara, 2016 is a huge year for the people of Ireland, marking the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising. The Proclamation of the Irish Republic commits to pursuing the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and all of its parts, cherishing all the children of the nation equally. At its core is a belief that all people are equal and all nations are sovereign. That historic document is a clear statement of intent for an all-Ireland Republic built on the foundations of civil and religious liberty, social justice and equality for all citizens.  It remains the mission statement of modern Irish republicanism and its principles guide us today. Sinn Fein believes that citizens have fundamental rights which are the responsibility of government to deliver-the right to a home; the right to decent healthcare; the right to education; the right to security; the right to equality no matter where you are born or what your background, your beliefs or your sexuality; the right of people with a disability to play a full and independent role in all aspects of life; the right of young people to live and work in their own country; the right of Irish language speakers to use the language in every aspect of their daily lives; and the right to the re-unification of Ireland. Fine Gael and Labour tell us that a recovery is underway.  If it is, it isn't a fair recovery. It is a two tier recovery that benefits them and their friends at the top, not the majority of hard-working Irish people. Instead of delivering on their promise of a democratic revolution, decision after decision taken by this government has caused chaos in the lives of hundreds of thousands of families across the State.   It is clear that Fine Gael and Labour have no solutions to the crises they have caused in housing and health and it is significant that when Fine Gael moved from their 5-point-plan to a 3-step-plan, they dropped healthcare entirely. Enda Kenny now wants to return to the reckless boom and bust policies of Fianna Fail. He wants to bring in tax cuts that benefit the wealthiest and ensure the continuation of chaos for everyone else. Sinn Fein has a very different vision for Ireland. Sinn Fein has a plan for a fair recovery that will grow the economy and secure the recovery for the average family. That is why our first priority in government will be to abolish water charges and the property tax and take more than a quarter of a million people out of the USC. We will increase employment and support enterprises. Sinn Fein has a plan for healthcare that is based on the fundamental belief that inability to pay should not deny access, nor the opportunity to lead a full, long, and healthy life. The health system is failing people every day because it is a grossly inequitable two-tier, public private system. The privatisation of health by Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour has meant that today there is almost no aspect of our health system that is universal. Irish people are now paying more and getting less.  In order to deliver universal healthcare we need to increase capacity in the system and progressively replace private spending by members of the public with public spending. Over the lifetime of the next government we have set out a year-on-year plan to move from a two-tier public-private system towards universal healthcare, free at the point of delivery and where access is based on need alone. We have a plan for housing. The current crisis in housing did not happen by accident. It happened because Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour took the decision to end the State's direct responsibility for meeting housing needs. They handed housing policy over to private developers, banks and private landlords. This policy has been a costly disaster. They refused to invest in social and affordable housing and there are now officially 90,000 households on local authority waiting lists. They refused to deal with soaring rents in the private sector and caused rents to increase faster in 2015 than at any time during the boom. Sinn Fein believes that one of the fundamental rights in any society is the right to a home and that is why we are committed to building 1 00,000 social and affordable homes. For the first time since the foundation of this State, there is an opportunity to elect a progressive government and Sinn Fein wants to lead that government. This manifesto sets out the detail of what we want to deliver and it builds on the foundations set out in our yearly budget alternatives and our detailed plans on health, housing, childcare, rural Ireland and the economics of Irish unity. Sinn Fein has a plan to build 100,000 homes, guarantee rent certainty and security and tackle the banks on unfair mortgage interest rates. Sinn Fein has a plan to move from a dysfunctional two-tier health system to universal healthcare. Sinn Fein has a plan to create 250,000 jobs and to ensure that workers are fairly paid with secure conditions. Sinn Fein has a plan for a fair recovery that will ease the burden on the average family: we will abolish water charges and the property tax, take a quarter of a million people out of the use, and make the cost of living cheaper. Sinn Fein has a plan for Irish re-unification. Is mise, Gerry Adams