Main message to voters:
As a Fine Gael TD for Donegal, my focus is ensuring that Rural Ireland benefits equally from the recovery – through jobs, investment, broadband and infrastructure. That we ensure this recovery is given a chance to develop further, so that those who have sacrificed can feel some economic relief
Election history:
Elected Fine Gael Member of Donegal County Council in 2009, Seanad Éireann in 2002 - 2007. Elected to Dáil Éireann in 2007 and again in 2011. In 2014, I was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of AHG and DCENR with Special Responsibility for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources.
Priorities:
- Rural Broadband – strong/ reliable access for all is essential for businesses/ SMEs; remote access and work flexibility; home access for students
- Investment in Infrastructure –roads like N14 Lifford- Letterkenny Road; better transport systems and connectivity like the £75M investment for A5 Road
- Healthcare services: improvement/ development of essential services, attracting qualified nurses/ doctors, cross border projects like LUH/ Altnagelvin
Party positions on the election issues:
These positions and quotes are based on an analysis of party manifestos and policy documents
Budget and taxes
What should the priority be in the next budget?
With a growing economy, government revenue is increasing. This can be put back into the economy in the form of tax cuts or increased spending on public services, or it can be used to reduce the national debt.
Prioritise increased spending on public services
Prioritise tax cuts
Prioritise reducing the national debt
None of the above
Comment:
"We don't believe tax cuts and spending on public services are mutually exclusive. Our Long-Term Economic Plan will create more jobs and make work pay by cutting income tax. The boost to the public finances from increasing numbers at work will allow us to fund improvements in key public services."
1 of 22 questions
Should high earners pay more tax than they currently do?
There are two income tax rates: the standard rate of 20% applies to all income up to a certain amount (€33,800 for a single person); and the higher rate of 40%, applies to all income earned over that amount. The Universal Social Charge is also payable at different rates depending on income.
Yes, to reduce economic inequality high earners should pay more tax
No, high earners pay enough at present
No, to reward work high earners should pay less tax than they do now
None of the above
Comment:
"ALL workers should pay less income tax than they do currently. If re-elected we will abolish the USC, to encourage work and effort and to keep the recovery going. We will also ensure Ireland’s income tax system remains one of the most progressive in the EU. Those on €33,800 are not 'high earners.'"
2 of 22 questions
Water
How should water be funded?
Currently, water charges are capped at €160 per year for households with one adult and €260 for households with more than one adult. Households with low water usage may get a rebate.
Water should be free at the point of use and funded through general taxation
The current policy (with capped charges per household) should be maintained
Households that use more water (above a set allowance) should pay more
None of the above
Comment:
"Metering works - 40% of households with meters are already paying less than the capped bill."
3 of 22 questions
Should water charges be boycotted?
Some political parties and groups have advocated a boycott of the water charges
Yes, water charges are wrong and should be boycotted
No, water charges are wrong, but we should obey the law and pay
No, water charges are necessary
None of the above
Comment:
"Water and waste water services are expensive and require increased infrastructural investment."
4 of 22 questions
Abortion
When should abortion be permitted?
Abortion is currently only permitted when the life of the mother is at risk (including risk of suicide). Legal abortions are rare; for example, there were 26 cases during 2014.
Only when the mother’s life is at risk from illness
Only when the mother’s life is at risk from illness or suicide (the current position)
When the mother’s life is at risk and in certain other cases such as rape and fatal foetal abnormality
Abortion should be freely available up to a certain number of weeks in a pregnancy
None of the above
Comment:
"A citizens' assembly will be set up within six months to consider this issue."
5 of 22 questions
Should there be a referendum on the 8th Amendment of the Constitution?
The 8th Amendment introduced a constitutional ban on abortion by acknowledging the right to life of the unborn (with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother).
Yes, the 8th Amendment should be repealed
There should be a referendum, but I would vote to defend the 8th Amendment
No, there should not be a referendum on the 8th Amendment
None of the above
Comment:
"A citizens' assembly will be set up within six months to consider this issue."
6 of 22 questions
Wages and employment
Should the minimum wage be increased?
The minimum wage has recently been raised to €9.15 per hour.
Yes, the minimum wage should be increased further
No, it is high enough; further increases could mean fewer jobs
No, the minimum wage is too high and should be decreased
None of the above
Comment:
"We are committed to sensible increases in the minimum wage. We will cut employer’s PRSI to mitigate the cost of minimum wage increases. We will also introduce a Working Family Payment to eliminate welfare traps and ensure that work always pays more than welfare."
7 of 22 questions
Should all employees be guaranteed a certain number of hours work per week?
In some sectors, such as retail, the number of hours work offered to employees varies greatly from week to week.
Yes, employees who want it should be given a guaranteed number of hours
Employers should try to provide guaranteed hours to staff, but the state should not intervene
No, employers sometimes need flexibility in order to stay in business
None of the above
Comment:
"It is important to strike a balance between ensuring that workers are provided with the best possible conditions and recognising that employers in some sectors require flexibility in order for their businesses to remain viable."
8 of 22 questions
Housing
Should there be tighter controls on rent?
Currently, landlords can only increase rent every two years, and rent increases must be justifiable in terms of the market rate.
Yes, to improve rent certainty increases should be capped in line with inflation
No, current controls on rent are adequate
No, rent controls are to be opposed as they reduce the supply of housing
None of the above
Comment:
"The recent measures introduced by the Government, will increase housing supply, while also giving hard-pressed tenants certainty and stability pending the coming on-stream of this supply."
9 of 22 questions
What is your view on the Local Property Tax?
The Local Property Tax is charged on all residential properties. The revenue raised is used to fund services by local authorities.
The Local Property Tax is fair and provides much needed revenue for local authorities
Property taxes are a good idea, but the current system needs to be reformed
Property taxes are unfair and should be abolished
None of the above
Comment:
"The Local Property Tax is a superior alternative to taxes on incomes and jobs and is a driver of local Government accountability for service delivery."
10 of 22 questions
What is your view on Traveller accommodation?
The Department of the Environment provides funding to local authorities for Traveller accommodation (e.g. halting sites and group housing schemes), but many local authorities have been reluctant to build these sites due to local opposition.
More should be done to provide accommodation for Travellers, even if there is local opposition
More Traveller accommodation is needed, but it should not be built against the wishes of the local community
The state should not build accommodation specifically for Travellers
None of the above
Comment:
"More Traveller accomodation is needed, and it is important that local communities are consulted as part of this."
11 of 22 questions
Health and childcare
Should there be free health care for all, paid for through higher taxes?
Currently, only some people are entitled to free health care or free GP care. Many people who can afford it choose to take out private health insurance.
Yes, health care should be free for all, even if it means higher taxes
GP care should be free, but universal health care would cost too much
No, those who can afford to pay should not have free health care
None of the above
Comment:
"We will introduce free GP care for all children. Our plan is for Universal Healthcare – for access to quality preventative, primary, curative, rehabilitative and end-of-life healthcare that is timely and affordable for everyone. Further work needs to be conducted on the costs of various models."
12 of 22 questions
Should the state do more to cover the cost of childcare?
The cost of childcare in Ireland is high by international standards. From September 2016, children over the age of three will be entitled to free pre-school for three hours a day. Beyond that it is up to parents to pay.
Yes, even if it means less resources available for other measures
No, current subsidies for childcare are adequate
No, the cost of childcare should be borne by parents
None of the above
Comment:
"We are committed to providing a second free pre-school year, and a childcare subsidy for the working parents of children."
13 of 22 questions
Religion in schools
Should religion be taught in state-funded primary schools?
Typically, primary schools spend 30 minutes a day on religious education, which in most cases involves instruction in a particular faith.
Yes, schools should instruct pupils in line with their religions ethos
Pupils should learn about various religions, not one particular faith
No, religion should only be taught outside of school
None of the above
14 of 22 questions
Should schools be allowed to give preference to children based on religion?
Approximately 96% of primary schools in Ireland are under religious patronage. In areas where schools are oversubscribed, some schools give preference to children based on their religion.
Yes, schools should be able to serve their own religious community first
Yes, but only if there are suitable alternatives (e.g. non-denominational schools) in the area
No, religion should have no place in school admissions policies for state-funded schools
None of the above
Comment:
"The Equal Status Act permits schools in which the objective is to provide education that promotes certain religious values, to admit a student of a particular religion in preference to others. Fine Gael supports real parental choice within a more diverse system of school patronage."
15 of 22 questions
Immigration, the EU
Should we accept more refugees in Ireland than we currently do?
In response to the migrant crisis, the current government has agreed to accept more refugees. However, Ireland still takes a relatively small number of refugees compared to some EU countries (such as Germany and Sweden).
Yes, we should accept a greater number of refugees
No, we accept enough already
No, we should accept fewer refugees than we currently do
None of the above
Comment:
"We will continue to offer safe haven for refugees under EU and UN resettlement and relocation programmes while also getting tougher on abuses of our migration system."
16 of 22 questions
Has European integration gone too far?
Some argue that greater integration is necessary to tackle EU-wide issues such as the financial crisis and the migrant crisis, while others believe that the EU interferes too much in the affairs of member states.
Yes, more power should be returned to member states
The current level of integration is acceptable
No, European integration should be pushed further
None of the above
Comment:
"We will work with like-minded Member States to ensure that EU institutions more effectively address the concerns of Member States and work for and in the name of all the people they represent."
17 of 22 questions
Environment
Should more wind farms be built in Ireland?
Currently, Ireland has 199 wind farms, which produce around 18% of the country’s electricity. Ireland has signed up to a target of generating 40% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
Yes, we need more wind farms
No, there are enough wind farms already
No, there are too many wind farms
None of the above
Comment:
"Wind energy is an important component of our plan for a sustainable, low carbon future. Any additional wind farms should be built in consultation with the local community in the area."
18 of 22 questions
Should we sign up to the EU’s targets on reducing emissions?
The European Commission wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030. Some groups are opposed to this because they believe it would have a negative impact on certain sectors, such as agriculture.
Yes, we should do what it takes to reduce our emissions in line with EU targets
We should seek to reduce emissions, but these targets are too ambitious for Ireland
No, we do not need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
None of the above
Comment:
"We have committed, with our EU partners, to a collective target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2030. Ireland’s national long-term vision is presented in climate legislation, which sets out our intention to substantially cut CO2 emissions by 2050."
19 of 22 questions
Political reform
Is the party whip system too rigid?
Political parties nominate someone as the ‘party whip’ whose job it is to ensure that TDs vote according to the party line, or else face the prospect of being removed from the party.
Yes, TDs should take instruction from their constituents or follow their conscience on all matters
TDs should be given a free vote on ethical issues, but on other matters the whip is needed
No, government parties need to be united in order to implement their policies
None of the above
Comment:
"The whip system is an essential feature of almost all parliamentary democracies. Relaxing the whip in certain instances is something FG would certainly consider on an all-party basis. Abolishing the whip completely however is a recipe for a mixture of legislative paralysis and chaos."
20 of 22 questions
Should citizens be able to initiate referendums?
Currently only the government can call a referendum. In some countries, citizens can initiate a referendum to introduce or overturn legislation or amend the constitution, once a certain number of signatures are collected.
Yes, allowing citizens to initiate referendums would empower the people
Yes, but only for referendums to overturn legislation (not to amend the constitution or introduce new legislation)
No, citizen-initiated referendums would be costly and potentially chaotic
None of the above
Comment:
"Referendums are already relatively common in Ireland and there is nothing to prevent citizens presenting petitions. We have substantially opened up the legislative process to citizens both via the work of the Constitution Convention and with the various packages of Dáil reform introduced since 2011."
21 of 22 questions
Crime
Are criminal sentences too lenient in Ireland?
There are currently around 3,700 people in prison in Ireland. The number of prisoners has increased in recent years, but the rate of incarceration remains relatively low by international standards.
Yes, criminals should be more severely punished
No, the current sentencing regime is about right
No, there should be a greater focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment
None of the above
Comment:
"We have been tough on repeat offenders and will continue to focus on tough penalties for reoffending, and widen the range of serious crime categories who can receive tougher sentences. At the same time we will also increase the use of supervised community sanctions for non-violent and minor offences"
22 of 22 questions