Main message to voters:
I am standing to offer an alternative to the establishment parties and a voice for change. This is the first opportunity in Ireland for a real alternative Government outside of the flip-flopping from FG/FF/Lab. Our society has become extremely unequal which needs immediate addressing.
Election history:
This is my first time standing although I have been an active trade unionist, and am currently President of the Waterford Council of Trade Unions.
Priorities:
- Reverse how Waterford has been seriously neglected throughout austerity, WUH has been reduced by 40%,cardiac care is operated on 9-5 basis,WIT cut.
- Stop the privatisation of all public services, housing, water, health & education. All areas have been decimated and need solid investment immediately
- Address the cynical manner in which previous Governments have treated our youth, with forced emigration, lack of educational opportunity & cuts to SW
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 should be reversing the cuts that have been inflicted on ordinary people. Spending on public services should be increased. This would be paid for by a tax on wealth, enforcement of a minimum effective rate of 12.5% of corporation tax and a Financial Transactions Tax"
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:
"The rich should pay their fair share of tax. We would end tax exile status for Irish billionaires and introduce a progressive tax system where people pay based on what they earn. We want a third income tax rate for those who earn over €100,000 and to reduce the USC for those earning under €70,000"
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:
"Water is a human right. People should not have to pay a double tax for water services. The provision of water and the water system should be funded through central taxation"
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:
"People Before Profit have urged people to fight the hated, unjust and unfair tax on water. We fully support the boycott of water charges and will be participating in future protests against water charges and Irish Water"
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:
"People Before Profit are for a woman’s right to choose. We will present legislation to abolish the maximum 14 year prison sentence for people who procure abortions. We believe that women have the right to control their own bodies."
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:
"We support a woman’s right to make her own decisions regarding reproduction, including the right to free, safe, and legal abortion. We must Repeal the 8th Amendment because it equates the life of a woman to that of an unborn foetus. It means that women are second class citizens in this country"
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 need a living wage of €11.50 an hour. We should also remove the current loopholes in the minimum wage legislation that allows employers to pay less during a ‘training’ period"
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:
"People Before Profit will ban zero-hours contracts that exploit workers. We will insist on registered employment agreements that pay people premium overtime rates and premium rates for anti-social hours."
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:
"People Before Profit favors a banded system of rent controls whereby all rental property is assigned to particular bands based on transparent criteria such as location, amenities, size of property. Rents should then be linked to the Consumer Price Index"
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 take no account of ability to pay. It is based on ‘market value’ which means that the tax on a smaller house in Dublin will be higher than a mansion in Mayo. Moreover, the tax is only levied on the first acre of a property and not the rest"
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:
"The state should engage more with the Travelling Community to develop culturally appropriate accommodation"
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:
"Healthcare should be free at the point of use, regardless of the size of one’s wallet. Britain achieved a free healthcare system after WW2. It is time Ireland caught up. People should not have to pay 3 times – through private insurance, hospital charges & taxes - for the current dysfunctional syste"
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 need to move to a system of publically run creche facilities. It does not make sense to charge the parents of 2 years old for childcare. As an immediate measure the next government must guarantee that parents only pay one third of the cost of childcare"
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:
"Religious groups should have right to use a school as a community facility to hold religious classes after school hours. Religious instruction should not be a central part of the school curriculum"
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:
"Discrimination against school pupils based on religious grounds should be outlawed"
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 are opposed to imperial intervention in Syria which has caused the humanitarian catastrophe. People fleeing bombs and ISIS terror should be welcomed"
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:
"The ECB forced this country to pay off private bondholders’ debt. EU rules have been used to dictate a strategy of privatisation. The EU is hiding behind non-democratic institutions to promote a neo-liberal agenda"
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:
"We favor wind farms that are not run by the profit motive and are not devised for energy export. We need a strategy to reduce energy consumption by a home insulation program and improving public transport. Currently, we are a car dependent society because of an inefficient public transport system"
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:
"Yes, we want to reduce carbon emissions but the current carbon trading model of the EU is not working. We need to move away from a fossil fuel addicted economy. This will only occur in an economy that is geared to the needs of people and not to an incessant drive towards profit"
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:
"People Before Profit does not favor a whip system. We vote seek to establish a consensus in our party through democratic debate and discussion"
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:
"We would go further. The people should be free to recall TD’s that have breached electoral promises"
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:
"It depends on the crime. White collar crimes such as insider trading & corruption should be more severely punished. We need to address the factors behind the rise in crime, such as poverty and unemployment. We need proper training and education for prisoners to help ensure they don’t return to jail"
22 of 22 questions