{"source_url": "https://www.irishtimes.com", "url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/taoiseach-makes-first-general-election-campaign-pitch-in-new-year-video-1.4128388?localLinksEnabled=false", "title": "Taoiseach makes first general election campaign pitch in New Year video", "top_image": "https://www.irishtimes.com/image-creator/?id=1.4128387&origw=1440", "meta_img": "https://www.irishtimes.com/image-creator/?id=1.4128387&origw=1440", "images": ["https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4119270.1576674025!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4110683.1575973090!/image/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpeg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4116915.1576768012!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.3691180.1541696862!/image/image.png", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4109716.1575911393!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4109379.1576839440!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/assets/images/icons/apps/app-store.png", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2889116.1480596986!/image/image.png", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4089516.1574516818!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4118272.1576595797!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128737.1577959635!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128387.1577905783!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300_160/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.3752243.1547029046!/image/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_140/image.png?1547031774464", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2819076.1475744278!/image/image.png_gen/derivatives/box_300/image.png", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.3752242.1547029043!/image/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_140/image.png?1547031704433", "http://b.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128875.1577982735!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128926.1577978476!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4117979.1576581664!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/image-creator/?id=1.4128387&origw=1440", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4069246.1572610512!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4050223.1571072291!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128976.1577983361!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4119181.1576668667!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/country-cookie/", "https://www.irishtimes.com/assets/images/icons/apps/google-play.png"], "movies": [], "text": "Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has made a first general election campaign pitch by promising to help deliver 50,000 new jobs and provide 25,000 new homes in the State this year.\n\nIn a New Year video, Mr Varadkar and T\u00e1naiste Simon Coveney list Fine Gael priorities for the coming year.\n\nMr Varadkar says he will steer Ireland through the next phase of Brexit by helping to secure a trade deal between the European Union and the UK; he also vows to give Irish businesses and farmers access to the British market; and promises to \u201cachieve a new record high when it comes to employment\u201d.\n\n\u201cWe know that well-paid secure jobs are the best ways to improve living standards, create opportunity, and reduce poverty,\u201d he says.\n\nHappy New Year!\n\n\n\nWant to know what my priorities are for the year ahead? pic.twitter.com/JcR6VM8Lge \u2014 Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) January 1, 2020\n\nThe Taoiseach also claims the Government will add 11,000 units to the social housing stock. \u201cThat\u2019s more new social houses than any other year this century under any other party,\u201d he says.\n\nThe Taoiseach\u2019s messages also alludes to climate change, with promises to reduce greenhouse emissions by creating warmer homes, improving air quality and investing in public transport.\n\nThe video is the second such broadcast made by the Taoiseach in recent days. On St Stephen\u2019s Day, he described his achievements since assuming office 2\u00bd years ago.\n\nIt is one of a number of social media broadcasts and publications recently issued by Fine Gael, suggesting the party is upping the ante ahead of a general election, which is widely expected to take place in the spring.\n\nMinister for Climate Action Richard Bruton has also announced a raft of initiatives on waste, packaging and climate change in recent days.\n\nClimate change and the \u201cgreen agenda\u201d are expected to be major themes of the election campaign. Fine Gael, in particular, may be vulnerable to rising support for the Green Party in affluent urban areas, after that party\u2019s strong performance in the local and European elections and November\u2019s byelections.", "keywords": [], "meta_keywords": [""], "tags": [], "authors": [], "publish_date": null, "summary": "", "article_html": "", "meta_description": "Varadkar and Coveney promise \u2018record high\u2019 employment and 11,000 social housing units", "meta_lang": "en", "meta_favicon": "/assets/images/favicons/favicon.ico", "meta_data": {"apple-itunes-app": "app-id=365544593", "description": "Varadkar and Coveney promise \u2018record high\u2019 employment and 11,000 social housing units", "vf": {"unique_id": "wwwirishtimescom14128388"}, "news_keywords": "News, Politics, Election2020", "viewport": "width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, minimum-scale=1.0, maximum-scale=2.0, user-scalable=yes, target-densitydpi=medium-dpi", "apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style": "black", "format-detection": "telephone=no", "robots": "all", "og": {"title": "Taoiseach makes first general election campaign pitch in New Year video", "type": "article", "url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/taoiseach-makes-first-general-election-campaign-pitch-in-new-year-video-1.4128388", "site_name": "The Irish Times", "description": "Varadkar and Coveney promise \u2018record high\u2019 employment and 11,000 social housing units", "locale": "en_US", "image": {"identifier": "https://www.irishtimes.com/image-creator/?id=1.4128387&origw=1440", "secure_url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/image-creator/?id=1.4128387&origw=1440", "type": "image/jpeg", "height": 630, "width": 1200}}, "twitter": {"card": "summary_large_image", "site": "@IrishTimes", "creator": "@harrymcgee", "url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/taoiseach-makes-first-general-election-campaign-pitch-in-new-year-video-1.4128388", "title": "Taoiseach makes first general election campaign pitch in New Year video", "description": "Varadkar and Coveney promise \u2018record high\u2019 employment and 11,000 social housing units", "image": "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128387.1577905783!/image/image.jpg", "account_id": 15084853}, "p": {"domain_verify": "407f54448f07f81a1dee976d9c243713"}, "fb": {"pages": 45441411157, "app_id": 1170474839675514}}, "canonical_link": "https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/taoiseach-makes-first-general-election-campaign-pitch-in-new-year-video-1.4128388"}