Main message to voters:
RENUA is neither right nor left wing. We will reward work, invest in home-grown businesses and support families; and we will prioritise rebuilding communities in neglected rural areas and towns.
Election history:
I am a dairy farmer with a young family and have also worked in construction. I have not been in politics before and I want to bring some new blood and fresh thinking to providing solutions for the people of Cork North West.
Priorities:
- Invest in Communities and Families: Public/Private House building; 80% tax credit for money spent on Childcare; improve access to Community Care
- Reform Income Tax to provide increased income and opportunities for all, from the lowest paid up
- Create Local Banks to make alternative sources of credit available for the self-employed and entrepreneurs
Candidate positions on the election issues:
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:
"RENUA Ireland supports the adoption of a 23% flat tax rate. We also believe that the state should be required to maintain a balanced budget during periods of economic expansion, to help ensure that vital public services can be better safeguarded during periods of economic difficulty"
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:
"Our flat tax rate of 23% will mean that all workers keep 77% of their income. This policy will ensure that work always pays. To fully protect lower income workers, a basic income payment of E3,050 per person will be made to those earning less than E70,000 per annum"
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:
"RENUA Ireland believes that water charges are necessary in order to resolve the consequences of continuous underinvestment and inefficiency in Ireland's water infrastructure. However, we will insist that Irish Water be radically reconstituted so that it is fit-for-purpose"
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:
"RENUA Ireland believes in the necessity for water conservation and for improvements in Ireland's water infrastructure, and this means that consumers must pay some charge. Therefore, we do not support the irresponsible policy of boycotting water charges"
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:
"RENUA Ireland respects the right of all its members and candidates to hold and express their own opinions on contentious moral issues, in accordance with our policy of respecting freedom of conscience"
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:
"RENUA Ireland respects the right of all its members and candidates to express their opinions on moral and social issues. Individuals will be free to advocate whatever position they wish to in any potential referendum on the 8th Amendment"
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:
"RENUA Ireland does not advocate any large-scale increases in the minimum wage which would make it harder for job-seekers to find work while also undercutting Ireland's international competitiveness. However, our flat tax policy will result in real increases in incomes for all workers"
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:
"In an era of rapid economic change, there are some sectors where the number of hours which employees work constantly changes. RENUA Ireland does not support the practice of offering zero-hour contracts, and will seek to find better ways to provide greater employment opportunities in those areas"
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:
"Rent controls are likely to weaken the incentives for developers to build homes at a time when they're desperately needed. To alleviate the housing shortage, we will introduce incentives for landlords to provide more housing, particularly for those on housing benefit"
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:
"Property taxes are necessary, but the existing tax should be replaced with a Zoned Land Tax which would be calculated by how much it costs to operate each local authority and a Site Value Tax which would be used to fund the development of social infrastructure across the state"
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:
"RENUA Ireland maintains that it is our foremost task to build an inclusive society. It is vital for all levels of government to foster inclusivity and partnership between the Travelling and settler communities, particularly on the construction of much-needed housing for Traveller families"
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:
"It is our policy that more GP services should be provided to patients in GP practices and primary care centres. This, along with the implementation of Electronic Health Records, will lead to major improvements in our GP system without the negative side-effects of the failed UHI model"
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:
"The cost of childcare is one of our party's major concerns. Our policy calls for a E500 million childcare tax credit which would be allocated on an 80% service user, 20% service provider basis. This policy will help hard-pressed parents to work outside the home if they choose to"
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
Comment:
"Parents have a right to have their children educated in a school of their choice, with a religious ethos or without one. In government, RENUA Ireland will re-ignite the abandoned school divestment process so that our education system is representative of the Ireland of today"
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 shortage of school places in certain areas of the country has placed serious pressure on schools and parents alike, and RENUA Ireland is committed to an in-depth analysis of the census and of demographic projections across the country to ensure that this problem is solved speedily"
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:
"Part of playing a positive role in the migration crisis is accepting a fair share of those refugees entering Europe, and we are committed to an immigration approach that welcomes people in desperate need while ensuring that our country maintains its security by carefully monitoring this process"
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:
"Many Irish citizens have been left disillusioned by various approaches taken by the EU and our national Government in recent years. We believe that Ireland must now establish a coherent national policy towards the EU and towards other international organisations to guide us into the future"
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:
"RENUA Ireland is opposed to the development of new wind farms, until such a time as technologies have improved to the point where wind energy becomes more economically viable and less environmentally damaging"
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:
"RENUA Ireland strongly supports international action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly. We believe this can be done without damaging our agricultural industry by developing alternative energy sources like tidal energy while increasing our afforestation rate to 20%"
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 party whip system is an important part of ensuring that our country has a stable and effective government. However, Ireland's uniquely rigid whip system leads to a stifling of debate and a silencing of dissenting voices. RENUA Ireland commits to changing this"
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
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:
"The lenient sentencing of criminals has left law-abiding citizens highly vulnerable to crime. Our plan to introduce a three strike rule with a mandatory life sentence following conviction for a third serious crime will ensure that citizens are protected, and that criminals are properly punished"
22 of 22 questions