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Pauline Flanagan

Pauline Flanagan

Independent

NOTHING WILL CHANGE IF NOTHING CHANGES With a background in education, politics and community activism, I am a strong, professional, capable, independent, public representative. Most importantly, I am more than capable of representing and working for YOU.

  • Priority: Social issues and education

    Children with special needs, especially those who are struggling to gain access to second level education. Vote for a capable mother and woman

  • Priority: Housing

    The housing situation is multi-faceted. We need homes. We need communities. We need the infrastructure around homes such as schools, GP care

  • Priority: Immigration and asylum

    The policy on immigration needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency .

These answers were provided by the candidate

Taxes and spending
1 of 32 questions
Money that is currently being saved for future policy challenges (such as climate change and an ageing population) should be spent now on things like housing and healthcare.
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "With our current surplus and effective accountable money management we should be investing in what people need today, in housing, infrastructure, health , transport and education whilst ensuring that we are proving for our aging population. Climate change cannot be ignored and needs investment"

- Pauline Flanagan
Taxes and spending
2 of 32 questions
Taxes on people earning over €100,000 a year should be increased.
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We should be looking at more targeted tax credits to support workers and families. We must demand more effective, accountable, spending of tax payers contributions. We must stop the waste."

- Pauline Flanagan
Taxes and spending
3 of 32 questions
The Universal Social Charge (USC) is a necessary source of revenue and should be kept.
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "The USC was initially 'sold' as a temporary charge. The government should honour the 'temporary' and abolish USC."

- Pauline Flanagan
Taxes and spending
4 of 32 questions
Tax on inheritance should be reduced, even if it means cutting back on public spending or increasing other taxes.
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "Tax has already been paid an anything accumulated in a persons lifetime . The current tax should be maintained in line with inflation."

- Pauline Flanagan
Taxes and spending
5 of 32 questions
Universal payments, such as child benefit and energy credits, should be replaced with more targeted measures aimed at the less well-off.
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "Universal payments should continue but we should ensure that low income families have increased tax credits"

- Pauline Flanagan
Housing
6 of 32 questions
The government should focus on making houses more affordable rather than providing financial supports to first-time buyers.
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We need to help first time buyers until homes become more affordable. It will continue to take too long to build enough homes to make homes affordable with the current red tape and constant delays . We need to make changes now to speed up planning, improve infrastructure and deliver homes."

- Pauline Flanagan
Housing
7 of 32 questions
Planning guidelines should be relaxed to allow for more one-off rural housing
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "People in rural Ireland should be able to build in their area"

- Pauline Flanagan
Housing
8 of 32 questions
A rent freeze should be introduced across the country, even if it risks landlords leaving the market
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "Rent controls rarely have the desired results, just look at the issues in the Rent Pressure Zones. Increased supply is the only effective solution to reducing rent levels"

- Pauline Flanagan
Housing
9 of 32 questions
The Local Property Tax should be scrapped, even if it means less money available for local councils
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We also need to demand more funding to Local Councils from Central Government to allow local councils to spend and invest according to the needs of the area."

- Pauline Flanagan
Transport
10 of 32 questions
The provision of public transport (trains, light rail, buses) should be prioritised over building roads
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "Laois, Ireland's county with the most people that commute to work, needs significant investment in public transport. Now, due to the lack of student accommodation, our third level students are also needing to commute to colleges around the country "

- Pauline Flanagan
Transport
11 of 32 questions
The passenger cap at Dublin airport should be lifted
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "Ireland is an island, we need to improve and expand our transport links throughout the country not cap growth."

- Pauline Flanagan
Environment, energy, agriculture
12 of 32 questions
Carbon taxes should continue to increase each year
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "Carbon taxes as they stand today unfairly penalises car users who do not have the option of public transport. This is particularly true for counties like Laois where so many have to commute for work, education, hospital care etc."

- Pauline Flanagan
Environment, energy, agriculture
13 of 32 questions
Ireland should give up its exemption under the EU Nitrates directive
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "The nitrate Derogation needs to be protected. As importantly, the misinformation around the binary narrative of anti-derogation means polluted water needs to be resolved. This is not being communicated effectively. "

- Pauline Flanagan
Environment, energy, agriculture
14 of 32 questions
The government should introduce measures to significantly reduce the extent of livestock farming in Ireland
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We must listen to the farmers, support them and help them to and follow the science to improve our water supplies."

- Pauline Flanagan
Environment, energy, agriculture
15 of 32 questions
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals should be allowed in Ireland, to improve security of supply
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We all experienced the cost of our lack of energy security with the energy price increases we have experienced since the start of the war in Ukraine. We also must demand an acceleration in the provision of renewable energy solutions."

- Pauline Flanagan
Social issues and education
16 of 32 questions
Abortion should be allowed in a wider range of circumstances.
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We must put the needs of the woman first."

- Pauline Flanagan
Social issues and education
17 of 32 questions
Policies to increase the representation of women in politics have gone too far
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "Policies are necessary until we have an equitable representation of women in politics "

- Pauline Flanagan
Social issues and education
18 of 32 questions
New laws on hate speech should be introduced to protect vulnerable communities
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "Care needs to be taken in the drafting of the law. Hate speech should not be confused with free speech when it can harm so many."

- Pauline Flanagan
Social issues and education
19 of 32 questions
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have too much power in Irish policy making
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "NGOs should have a voice as they are often immersed in their field and understand the specific needs and challenges of the people they serve in their organisation, by that in disability, youth, women's aid etc. As someone who has served as a volunteer with various NGOs this is very clear to me "

- Pauline Flanagan
Social issues and education
20 of 32 questions
Religious instruction should only take place outside school hours in Irish primary schools
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "I agree that religion should be separate from education unless parents chose to send their children to secular schools. Schools should also make it more acceptable for children to opt out of religious education be providing alternative activities during RE classes."

- Pauline Flanagan
Social issues and education
21 of 32 questions
Gender diversity and transgender issues should be taught in Irish primary schools
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "At age appropriate levels only"

- Pauline Flanagan
Immigration and asylum
22 of 32 questions
More resources should be given to improving conditions for asylum seekers
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We need to support the most vulnerable and speed up the processing time, thereby reducing the amount of time and cost involved to accommodating asylum seekers. "

- Pauline Flanagan
Immigration and asylum
23 of 32 questions
Communities should be obliged to take their fair share of asylum seekers, even if there is local opposition
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We should not confuse immigration with asylum seekers, immigrants come as they have something to offer our economy , doctors, nurses, construction workers etc. they do not live in direct provision centres. communication with the local community is necessary for accommodation centres."

- Pauline Flanagan
Immigration and asylum
24 of 32 questions
Accommodation centres for asylum seekers should not be located in economically disadvantaged areas
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "These centres would be better located in areas with good public transport. It is disgraceful that government policy has allowed hotel owners to profit and avoid planning regulations to the extreme detriment of the local community "

- Pauline Flanagan
Immigration and asylum
25 of 32 questions
Rules on immigrant work permits and student visas should become more restrictive
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We need to provide work permits when we have a need in particular areas, construction, health care, carers etc"

- Pauline Flanagan
Crime and policing
26 of 32 questions
The solution to anti-social behaviour lies in tackling poverty and disadvantage rather than tougher policing
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We need to do both, to protect our communities and our young people in particular from organised crime groups that prey on the disadvantaged"

- Pauline Flanagan
Crime and policing
27 of 32 questions
Gardaí should take a more robust approach to dealing with political protests
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "Peaceful protest is our democratic right. When a protest is peaceful Gardai should have an obvious stand off presence. Should a protest become destructive or violent Gardai should take a more robust approach. "

- Pauline Flanagan
Foreign policy and defence
28 of 32 questions
Ireland should continue to provide financial and political support to Ukraine in response to the ongoing war
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We should continue to provide political and financial support to Ukraine just as we would hope our neighbours would provide the same support to Ireland should we ever need it. Ukraine is a republican country - just like us "

- Pauline Flanagan
Foreign policy and defence
29 of 32 questions
The EU should suspend its trade agreement with Israel
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We have probably only seen a fraction of the horrendous footage of suffering of civilians in Gaza. Enough is enough "

- Pauline Flanagan
Foreign policy and defence
30 of 32 questions
Ireland should retain its ‘triple lock’ rule for deploying troops abroad
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "The decision on where to deploy Irish troops should be a decision made by Ireland"

- Pauline Flanagan
Foreign policy and defence
31 of 32 questions
Ireland should collaborate more with other EU member states on defence and security
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We will be more able to improve our defence and security by collaborating with other EU member states. Ireland’s Cybersecurity challenge is just one, non military, example where collaboration will help."

- Pauline Flanagan
Irish unity
32 of 32 questions
A referendum on Irish unity should be held in the next five years
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We should be actively planning for Irish unity and working on solutions to the opportunities and challenges that unity would face. When we have the solutions to the challenges that will be the time for the referendum."

- Pauline Flanagan

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