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Charles Bobbett

Charles Bobbett

Independent

Meath East requires balances in planning and infrastructure. Major towns need to become centres of employment as well as living, allowing workers to remain to work and live locally. Affordable housing must be made available and be easily obtained with state supports for individuals and families.

Priorities

  • Housing

    Make home ownership possible for all working citizens. Lower house prices to affordable levels. Local authorities to generate a housing stock.

  • Taxes and spending

    Control expenditure on large projects, with strong oversight on value for money. Lower taxes and provide cost of living packages for workers.

  • Environment, energy, agriculture

    Focus on Biodiversity, Energy production by renewable sources, promote high value farming output with core sustainability Focus on export markets.

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 Candidate position
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Save money through targeting fiscal wastage. Bring all projects in under budget. Pick high value projects for completion that have greatest need and benefit to the public. "

- Charles Bobbett
Taxes and spending
2 of 32 questions
Taxes on people earning over €100,000 a year should be increased.
  • Agree Candidate position
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Taxes should target more on those on higher incomes. Analysis on best ways to protect lower paid while making the Tax system more equitable. "

- Charles Bobbett
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 Candidate position
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "USC is fundamentally unfair and should be removed in favour of progressive taxation system."

- Charles Bobbett
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 Candidate position
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Inheritance Tax should be reduced. Government expenditure must rely on streamlining projects and getting value for publics money."

- Charles Bobbett
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 Candidate position
  • Disagree
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Utilising detailed tax and earning details of citizens could help focus extra supports directly to concerned individuals and families. Where there are strong difficulties, then targeted supports would be implemented."

- Charles Bobbett
Housing
6 of 32 questions
The government should focus on making houses more affordable rather than providing financial supports to first-time buyers.
  • Agree Candidate position
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Financial supports may lead to further house price inflation. Focus on reining in house prices to sustainable levels. House price bubbles have proven to be detrimental to the economy and citizens financial wellbeing."

- Charles Bobbett
Housing
7 of 32 questions
Planning guidelines should be relaxed to allow for more one-off rural housing
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree Candidate position
  • Disagree
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "One off housing should be allowed in case of rural dwellers such as farmers or those brought up in the countryside. Small settlements can be allowed to build a number of homes close to foster new communities."

- Charles Bobbett
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 Candidate position
  • Disagree
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Adequate housing stock needs to be built to reduce low availability of reasonable cost rental and affordable homes to buy instead of renting."

- Charles Bobbett
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 Candidate position
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Local councils should find ways to generate own income through providing services and expertise in infrastructure, planning, project oversight and provision."

- Charles Bobbett
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 Candidate position
  • Disagree
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Certain roads must be built to meet changing needs. More focus on public transport is key to supporting local communities rural and urban. New transport links can aid growth and distribution of population and employment centers strategically across counties. "

- Charles Bobbett
Transport
11 of 32 questions
The passenger cap at Dublin airport should be lifted
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree Candidate position
  • Disagree
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Second major Airport should be built in a satellite county (Kildare, Wicklow, Meath) utilising Motorway, Rail networks, to allow for future expansion of air transport. Current difficulties with airplane routing over neighbouring communities is causing hardship for the public and needs addressing."

- Charles Bobbett
Environment, energy, agriculture
12 of 32 questions
Carbon taxes should continue to increase each year
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree Candidate position
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "This affects public cost of living as alternative options not readily available. Current society model highly carbon dependent. This needs to be tackled. "

- Charles Bobbett
Environment, energy, agriculture
13 of 32 questions
Ireland should give up its exemption under the EU Nitrates directive
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree Candidate position
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Our competitive advantage could be greatly diminished and cause an increase in land farmed by 50% to maintain stock numbers. This retention of derogation is vital after 2027."

- Charles Bobbett
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 Candidate position
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Make livestock production more sustainable focusing on most efficient methods to raise and fatten high quality herds. Meat products form an important part of human diets; best production methods must be adhered to."

- Charles Bobbett
Environment, energy, agriculture
15 of 32 questions
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals should be allowed in Ireland, to improve security of supply
  • Agree Candidate position
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Fuel stocks must be available for emergencies and conflicts which may occur into the future. "

- Charles Bobbett
Social issues and education
16 of 32 questions
Abortion should be allowed in a wider range of circumstances.
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree Candidate position
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Support mothers right to decide on reproduction. Give best supports to women to make well reasoned and timely decisions on behalf of them and the unnborn."

- Charles Bobbett
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 Candidate position
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Women and Men need to be able to become political representatives. High quality representation is key. All representatives must be ready and willing to carry out their representational duties."

- Charles Bobbett
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 Candidate position
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Current laws must be enforced. Tolerant and Inclusive society must be promoted and developed."

- Charles Bobbett
Social issues and education
19 of 32 questions
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have too much power in Irish policy making
  • Agree Candidate position
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "NGO's may affect have a large impact on how society is being shaped. Careful consideration is needed on how NGO's operate in the state and the extent of their mandate. Regular audits and reviews of their operations are needed to keep alignment with policy and law."

- Charles Bobbett
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 Candidate position
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Religious instruction should continue to be provided within the state education system, taking into account the wishes of the parents/guardians of the child. Parents who wish not to have religious instruction for their child must be provided with alternative resourced activity for their child. "

- Charles Bobbett
Social issues and education
21 of 32 questions
Gender diversity and transgender issues should be taught in Irish primary schools
  • Agree Candidate position
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Gender education in school helps the child develop with a strong sense of gender identity into adulthood. Changes in position and gender identity form part of this development."

- Charles Bobbett
Immigration and asylum
22 of 32 questions
More resources should be given to improving conditions for asylum seekers
  • Agree Candidate position
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "State should provide proper facilities for asylum seekers. Communities must be fully agreeable to facilities, an open and public dialog must be carried out in advance of development of any facility. Poor Asylum policies are detrimental to community development, as seen in Sweden. "

- Charles Bobbett
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 Candidate position
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Dialog is needed to find out what levels of facility can be given by local communities. Recent difficulties in this regard show that the public may not be getting a fair hearing from authorities in this regard."

- Charles Bobbett
Immigration and asylum
24 of 32 questions
Accommodation centres for asylum seekers should not be located in economically disadvantaged areas
  • Agree Candidate position
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Areas that have suffered and likely continue to suffer from poor housing stock, higher unemployment levels, lack of social facilities, should not be the location for the centres. This only leads to further difficulties for these important communities. "

- Charles Bobbett
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 Candidate position
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Temporary Visas for workers with specialised skills should be made available. This must not be a shortcircuit to staying permanently or citizenship. Students should have temporary visas to study and take parttime jobs while studying."

- Charles Bobbett
Crime and policing
26 of 32 questions
The solution to anti-social behaviour lies in tackling poverty and disadvantage rather than tougher policing
  • Agree Candidate position
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Fundamental support of communities is key to ending cycles of deprivation and poverty. Building an inclusive society is key to successful communities. This is done by social, education and employment supports insitu in all areas. "

- Charles Bobbett
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 Candidate position
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Protests should be policed in a professional fashion. Citizens are free to protest on matters of ongoing concern. Groups and individuals must abide by the law during protests. Good dialog is important between action groups and police when protests are planned. "

- Charles Bobbett
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 Candidate position
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "This is a complex geopolitical situation. Irelan should continue to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine."

- Charles Bobbett
Foreign policy and defence
29 of 32 questions
The EU should suspend its trade agreement with Israel
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree Candidate position
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "EU should work to foster peace in the region by supporting strong political and humanitarian dialog. EU and allies have to work with Israel and regional governments to stop ongoing conflicts while maintaining solutions."

- Charles Bobbett
Foreign policy and defence
30 of 32 questions
Ireland should retain its ‘triple lock’ rule for deploying troops abroad
  • Agree Candidate position
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Ireland should continue in its peacekeeping strategy for the troops abroad in accordance with the tried and tested 'triple-lock" system."

- Charles Bobbett
Foreign policy and defence
31 of 32 questions
Ireland should collaborate more with other EU member states on defence and security
  • Agree Candidate position
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Ireland should make sound investment in security and defence with EU, while maintaining a pivotal role of supporting peaceful strategies. "

- Charles Bobbett
Irish unity
32 of 32 questions
A referendum on Irish unity should be held in the next five years
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree Candidate position
  • Disagree
  • No opinion Your position
Comment: "Dialog on the issue is important for the citizens in Northern Ireland. A referendum would have to be decided in that jurisdiction and can be brought about by the politicians and communities they serve. Continuation of peace and prosperity are of greatest importance. "

- Charles Bobbett

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