Sinn Fein's stance on the abolition of the Special Criminal Court was the source of heavy questioning at the launch of its manifesto in Dublin this lunchtime.

But the party's manifesto also plans to create 250,000 jobs over the next five years, including 20,000 in the public service, of which 3,000 would be Gardaí.

The party does not want to abolish the Universal Social Charge, and instead would only exempt workers who earn under €19,000 a year - roughly the equivalent of 39-hours-a-week on the minimum wage.

Instead it would deliver relief to the average families through the abolition of water charges and the local property tax - which it says are 'red line issues', and without which and it will not participate in government.

Those would be partly funded by a new levy of 7% on all earnings over €100,000.

Our political correspondent Gavan Reilly filed this report for Today FM's National Lunchtime News: