People Before Profit and the Anti-Austerity Alliance have announced a set of common principles ahead of the upcoming general election.

The left-wing political groupings say the shared principles outline 'a different vision for politics in Ireland', focused on 'radical alternatives and real equality'.

The commons principles include: abolishing austerity taxes such as the USC and water charges; reversing cuts to the likes of welfare rates and the One Parent Family Payment; and investing in areas such as housing, jobs, education and healthcare.

The groups are also proposing establishing a progressive tax system, which would include measures such as a minimum effective rate of corporation tax of 12.5% and introducing a 'Millionaire's Tax'.

You can read the full common principles document here.

Richard Boyd Barrett , the AAA-PBP TD and Dun Laoghaire general election candidate, said, “this government’s claims of success and stability are truly preposterous. The four most basic things imaginable for judging whether a government has met the needs of the people are housing, water, health and education. In all four the government have failed".

Councillor Brid Smith, who is running for the Dáil in the Dublin South Central constituency, said, "we have shown through our involvement central involvement in the water charges movement and other movements of people power over recent years that real change comes clear principles and a commitment to work with ordinary people to achieve them.

"In this election we have a choice: go back to the cronyism and failed politics of the past or go forward to a new kind of Ireland based on equality, solidarity and social justice," she added.

While AAA-PBP will contest the election on a joint platform, they remain separate entities.

The groups have also selected candidates independently of each other, and therefore in many constituencies will have at least two candidates running under the same banner.