FINE GAEL GENERAL ELECTION MANIFESTO 2016michaelpidgeon.com/manifestos/docs/fg/Fine Gael GE 2016.pdf · Consumer Rights 82 18 JuSTICE, CRIME AND LAW REFORM 83 An Garda Síochána

FINE GAEL GENERAL ELECTION MANIFESTO 2016

LET’S KEEP THE RECOVERY GOING

01FINE GAELGeneral Election Manifesto 2016

Contents FOREWARDFROMANTAOISEACH 6 THELONGTERMECONOMICPLAN- THREESTEPSTOkEEPTHERECOvERyGOING 9

1 AGRICuLTuREANDFOOD 13 GenerationalChange–FarmFamilies 14

SupportingAllSectors 14 RealisingourAmbition 16 RobustSystemsandWelfare 17

2 ARTS,CuLTuREANDHERITAGE 19 ArtsandCulture 19

Heritage 21

3 BANkING 20 Choice 20

Credit 21 Confidence 23

4 BRINGINGOuRFRIENDSANDFAMILyHOME 25 BringingourFriendsandFamilyHome 25

TheIrishDiaspora 26

5 CLIMATECHANGE,ENERGyANDTHEENvIRONMENT 27 ClimateChangePolicy 27

RenewableEnergy 28 PriceCompetitiveness 30 Environment 31 Flooding 31 NaturalResources 32

6 ACONNECTEDIRELAND 33 CommunicationNetworks 33

BringingIrelandUptoSpeed 34 Broadcasting 35

7 DEFENCE 37 DeliveringonNewThinking 37

8 DISABILITy 39 MakingWorkPay 39

TailoringServicestoIndividualNeeds 39 IndependenceandIncomeSupport 40

9 DRuGSANDALCOHOL 41 PublicHealth(Alcohol)Bill 41

10 ECONOMy,PuBLICFINANCESANDTAxATION 43 MoreandBetterJobsthroughEffectiveTaxPolicy 43

MakingWorkPaythroughTaxReform 44 SoundPublicFinancesandSensibleInvestments inPublicServicesandInfrastructure 45

2 FINE GAELGeneral Election Manifesto 2016

GENERAL ELECTION MANIFESTO

11 EDuCATIONANDSkILLS 47 1. WeWillInvestinSchools,EducationandTeachers. 47

2. WeWillStrengthenLocalDecisionMaking,Leadership,InnovationandAccountability. 49

3. WeWillImproveParentalChoiceandSchoolDiversity. 50 4. WeWillExpandtheRange,Affordabilityand QualityofHigherEducationOptions. 51

12 ANEquAL,FAIRANDINCLuSIvESOCIETy 53 MoreandBetterJobs 53

Long-TermThinkingforBetterServices 54 EqualityofOpportunity 55

13 FAMILIESANDCHILDCARE 56 MakingWorkPayforFamilies 56

Family-FriendlyChildcare 56 Healthcare(seeHealthchapterforfurtherdetail) 58 Education(seeEducationchapterforfurtherdetail) 59 TheFamilyHome 60

14 ANGHAEILGE 61

15 HEALTH 65 1. MoreResourcesandStaffandBetter

InfrastructureforHealthServices 65 2. HealthReformProgramme 67 3. ADecisiveShiftTowardsPrimaryandCommunityCare 69 4. ImprovingtheHealthandWell-beingoftheNation 71

16 HOuSING 73 HomeOwnership 73

SustainableConstruction 73 SocialandAffordableHousing 74 ProtectingRenters 74 SupportingHigh-QualityandAppropriateHousing 75 Homelessness 75

17 JOBS,ENTERPRISEANDREGIONALGROWTH 76 ALeapForwardforEnterprise 76

BuildingaCompetitiveEdge 78 RevitalisingtheMainStreet 80 PromotingEntrepreneurship 81 WorkplaceRelations 82 ConsumerRights 82

18 JuSTICE,CRIMEANDLAWREFORM 83 AnGardaSíochána 83

TacklingRuralCrime 85 SecuringtheState 85 AnAccessibleandEfficientLegalSystem 86 SentencingandRepeatOffending 87 LegislativeReform 87 ABalancedMigrationPolicy 88

19 LOCALGOvERNMENTANDCOMMuNITIES 89

20 NORTHERNIRELAND,EuROPEANANDFOREIGNAFFAIRS 92 ThePeaceProcess 92

NorthSouthCooperation 92 SecurityandCrimePrevention 93 IrelandinEurope 93


ConflictResolutionandMultilateralEngagement 94 Trade 94 OfficialDevelopmentAssistance(ODA)and HumanitarianAid 95 PassportSecurity 95

21 POLITICALREFORM 96 AMoreEffectiveOireachtas 96

MoreInclusivePolitics 98 FiscalResponsibilityandNationalCompetitiveness 98 EmpoweringCitizensandDrivingPolicy 99

22 OLDERPEOPLE 100 OlderYears,BetterYears 100

EnhancedPrimaryCare 100 PromotingIndependentandActiveLiving 102 Carers 103 StrongerVoiceforOlderPeople 103

23 PuBLICSECTORREFORMANDPuBLICPROCuREMENT 104 AStrong,StrategicCentreofGovernmentthatDrives

NewIdeasandInnovation 104 PublicServiceNumbers,PayandPensions 106 DevolvingPowertoFrontlineDecisionMakers 107 CivilandPublicServiceReformandAccountability 108 MoreDiversityofPublicServiceProvisionandMore “ChoiceandVoice”forServiceUsers 108 MoreFocusonPreventionandEarlyIntervention 109 PublicProcurement 109

24 RuRALIRELAND 111

25 SEAFOODANDTHEMARINE 115 FoodWise2025–Seafood 115

InvestmentandLeadership 115 TheNewCommonFisheriesPolicy(CFP) 116 Quotas–ANationalAsset 116 SupportingGrowthintheSeafoodSector 116

26 SOCIALWELFARE,MAkINGWORkPAyANDPENSIONS 119 MakingWorkPay 119

Activation 121 WelfareReform 122 PensionsReform 122

27 TRANSPORT 125 PublicTransport 125

GreenTransport 126 Roads 126 AirandSeaTransport 127

28 TOuRISMANDSPORT 128 Tourism 128

Sport 129

29 yOuTHAFFAIRS 131 EnsuringourYoungPeopleMeettheirFullPotential 131

EnsuringourYoungPeople’sWell-being 131 ChildProtectionandCare 132 YouthJustice 132

APPENDICES 134




In an unCertaIn world, our long term eConomIC Plan wIll reInforCe Ireland’s PosItIon as a Pro-jobs and Pro-famIly Country of stabIlIty, growth and oPPortunIty for all.An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny


FOREWARD

FOREWORDFROMAN TAOISEACh

ThankstothehardworkandresilienceoftheIrishpeople,oureconomyisnowrecovering.

Whiletheeconomicrecoveryremainsfragileandcannotbetakenforgranted,wenowhaveitinourgrasptomakeIrelandacountrywhereourpeoplecanonceagainprosper,

work,startabusiness,raiseafamilyandgrowoldwithdignity.

FineGael’spromiseistogiveourpeoplethesolidfoundationonwhichtheycanbuildtheirlives–nomoreboomandbust,nomorerecklesswasteoftaxpayers’money,nomoresenseofacrisis.

OurLongTermEconomicPlanoffersourpeoplethestabilityandcertaintyneededtokeeptherecoverygoing.Ithasthreesteps:

1.MoreandBetterJobs2.MakingWorkPay3.InvestinginBetterServices

Bykeepingtherecoverygoing,theaimofourPlanisthatby2022–the100thanniversaryofthefoundationoftheState–Irelandwillbeacountrywhich:

•Makesajobavailabletoeveryonewhowantsone•Giveseveryfamilythesupportsneededtoescapefrompoverty•Hasbroughthomeatleast70,000ofourfriendsandfamilyforcedtoleavebecauseofthe

crisis•Giveseverychildanequalopportunityinlifebyprovidingthehealth,educationandfamily

servicestheyneed

FineGaelhaslearntfromthemistakesmadebypreviousgovernments–weknowthatonlyastrongeconomythatsupportspeopleatworkcanpayfortheservicesneededforajustsociety.

WearedeterminednottoletIrelandgoback–nottothosewhowreckedoureconomyinthefirstplace,andnottothosewhowouldkilljobswithnewtaxesonwork.

Inanuncertainworld,ourLongTermEconomicPlanwillreinforceIreland’spositionasapro-jobsandpro-familycountryofstability,growthandopportunityforall.

Mycommitmenttoyouistokeepitthatway.

TogetherwiththeIrishpeople,FineGaelwillkeeptherecoverygoing.

Enda Kenny TDLeaderFineGael


RéAMHRáóNTAOISEACh

Táangeilleagaragtéarnamhabhuíochasd’obairchruaagusd’athléimneachtmhuintirnahéireann.

Cégobhfuilan téarnamhgeilleagrach leochaileach igcónaíaguscénach féidirneamhshuimadhéanamhde,tádeisanoisagmuintirnahéireanndéanamhgomaith,abheithagobair,gnóa

thosú,clannathógáilagusdulinaoisledínit.

GeallannFineGaelgogcuirfimidbunchlochláidirarfáildomhuintirnatíreseo-níbheidhaonchaintarbhorradhaguscliseadh,níchuirfearairgeadnagcáiníocóiríamú,níbheidhgéarchéimlebrathníosmó.

CuireannárbPleanEacnamaíochtaFadtéarmachanchobhsaíochtagusanchinnteachtabhfuilgáleochunantéarnamhachoinneáilagimeachtarfáil.Tátríchéimigceist:

1.NíosMóPostannaagusPostannaNíosFearr2.PáNíosFearr3.InfheistíochtiSeirbhísíNíosFearr

Agusantéarnamháchoinneáilagimeachtagainn,iséaidhmárbpleannágombainfeadhéireanméidseoaleanasamachfaoi2022-céadbliainindiaidhbhunúanStáit:

•Postachurarfáildogachduineismianleispostabheithaige•Natacaíochtaíriachtanachaachurarfáildotheaghlaighionasgurféidirleoéalúónmbochtaineacht•70,000duinedárdteaghlaighagusdárgcairdead’imighmargheall aranngéarchéima thabhairt

abhaile•Deischothromsasaolathabhairtdogachleanbhtrínaseirbhísísláinte,oideachaisagusteaghlaigha

theastaíonnuathuachurarfáildóibh

D’fhoghlaimFineGaelónabotúinarinnerialtaisatháinigromhainn-táafhiosagainnnachféidirachlegeilleagarláidirathacaíonnledaoineibhfostaíochtíocasnaseirbhísíriachtanachalehaghaidhsochaíchóir.

Táimidtiomantaganligeand’éirefilleadharanaimsiracaitheadh–gandularaischucusiúdascriosangeilleagararangcéaddulsíos,aguschucusiúdascriosfadhfostaíochtlecánachanua.

CabhróidhárbPleanEacnamaíochtaFadtéarmachleseasamhnahéireannaneartúionasgombeidhsíinatíratáarmhaithelepostannaagusleteaghlaighagusinatírinambeidhcobhsaíocht,comhdheiseannaagusfás.

Geallaimduitgogcoinneoimidantírarangcaoisin.

Idteanntamhuintirnahéireann,coinneoidhFineGaelantéarnamhagimeacht.

Enda Kenny TDLeaderFineGael



thanks to the hard work and resilience of the Irish people, our economy is now recovering. there are more people back at work. our roads and shops are busier.


Thanks to the hard work and resilience of the Irishpeople, our economy is now recovering. There aremorepeoplebackatwork.Ourroadsandshopsarebusier.

Weallrememberthedepthofthecrisisthatgrippedthecountryonly5yearsago.Aneconomyinfreefall;banks on the brink of collapse; 300,000 jobsdestroyed; and Ireland’s international reputation inshreds.

AcountryinaTroikabailout.

In 2011, Fine Gael promised to get Ireland workingagain.Whileeveryelementofour5-PointPlanhasn’tyetbeendelivered,mostofithas,withtherestontheway.

This Government, working with the people,implementedarecoveryplantobringustowherewearetoday.

Together, we ended the bailout and restored ourinternationalreputation.

Together,we supported thechanges tohelpcreate135,000extrajobssince2012.

Thereis,ofcourse,alongwaytogo.

Families know that the recovery is fragile andincomplete. Many don’t yet feel the benefits. Allremainnervousabouttherisksaheadandthedangerofslippingback.

FineGael’scommitmenttoyouisthatwearenevergoingback.

UnderpinningourmanifestoisFineGael’sLongTermEconomic Plan to keep the recovery going. It hasthreesteps.

1.MoreandBetterJobsThefirststepistocreateevenmorejobopportunities,spread across the country. Since 2012, businesseshavedeliveredanextra135,000jobs–morethanthe100,000wepromised.

Butthisisnotenough.WewillbuildonthisduringoursecondtermofofficebydeliveringSustainableFullEmployment.Thiswillmean:

•An extra 200,000 jobs by 2020, leading to morepeopleatworkthaneverbefore;and

•70,000Irishemigrantsreturninghometowork

Thesetargetsareambitious,butachievablewiththerightpolicies.

That’swhyourmanifestocommitstomoremeasurestosupportboth Irish-ownedbusinessesandforeigninvestmentinthiscountry,including:

•The establishment of a new €4bn “Future JobsInvestment Fund” to future-proof the economyand our jobs plan against rising global risks andchallenges

•Sectoral growth strategies for food, agriculture,tourism,financialservices,aviationandtransport

•Doublingto31,000thenumberofapprenticeshipsfornewandgrowingsectorsoftheeconomy,aspartofastepchangeinthecapacityofourhigherleveleducationsystemtoeducate,develop,deployandretaintalent

•Anew10%CGTrateonstart-upsfrom2017

•€42bnininfrastructureinvestments,shapedbyclear

TheLongTermEconomicPlan– Three Steps to Keep

the Recovery Going

10 FINE GAELGeneralElectionManifesto2016


regionaljobsstrategies,tobringunemploymenttobelow7%ineveryregionofthecountry

•Protecting our 12.5% rate of corporation tax andfurtherenhancementstoourcorporatetaxregimetoencouragemoreinvestment, innovationandjobcreation

2.MakingWorkPayFineGaelbelieves thatwork, rather thanwelfare, istheonlysustainablerouteoutofpoverty.ThesecondstepinourPlanistocontinuetomakesurethat,asmorejobsarecreated,workpaysmorethanwelfare,andthathardworkandentrepreneurshiparebetterrewarded.

That’swhyourmanifestocommitsto:

•Completing the equalisation of the income taxsystemfortheself-employedby2018

•CompletingtheabolitionoftheUSCovera5-yearperiod,aspartofawider incometax reformplanthatbroadensthetaxbaseand limitsthebenefitsforthehighestearners

•Doublinghousingoutputto25,000peryearby2020tomakehousingmoreavailableandaffordableforworkingfamilies

•Sensible,affordableincreasesintheminimumwageto€10.50overthe5-yearperiod

•AWorkingFamilyPaymentdesignedtoensurethatevery parent working 15 hours or more per weektakeshomeatleast€11.75perhour

•TheextensionoffreeGPcaretothechildrenofallfamiliesby2019

•A second free pre-school year, and a €2,000childcare subsidy for working parents of childrenagedbetween9monthsand36months in formalchildcaresettings

Throughthesemeasures,ourPlanaimsto–by2020– move 70,000 long-term unemployed people intoa job, cut the national unemployment rate to 6%,andreducethenumbersofpeople living inJoblessHouseholdstowardstheEuropeanaverage.

3.InvestinginBetterServicesOnlyastrongeconomythatsupportspeopleatworkcanpayfortheservicesneededforthetypeofjust

society that is at theheartofFineGael’s vision forIreland.

Withtheboosttothepublicfinancesfromincreasingnumbersbackatworkandagrowingeconomy,thethirdstepinourPlanistocontinuetoinvestinbetterservicesthat improvepeople’s livesandprotecttheweakest and most vulnerable in our society frompovertyandexclusion.

Our Plan will use the resources generated by theeconomicrecoverytofund,by2021:

•An additional 10,183 doctors, nurses, Gardaí,teachers,socialworkersandotherfrontlineserviceprofessionals within a well-run and cost-effectivepublicservice

•A significant increase in investment in our healthservices, to meet the needs of our growing andageingpopulation,reducewaitinglists,andtofundbetterprimaryandcommunitycare

•A€20increaseinweeklysocialwelfarepaymentstocarers,thedisabledandthesick

•A package of measures for the elderly, includinga €25 per week increase in the State pension, a€30perweek increase including theLivingAloneAllowance, more “Fair Deal” nursing home places,and2millionmorehomehelphours

Wewillalsosetupa“rainydayfund”tocopewithunexpected events. Our Long Term EconomicPlan will leave €2.5bn of the available fiscal spaceunallocatedasaContingencyandStabilityReserve.This reservewillactasabufferagainstunexpectedshocks,bothdomesticandinternational,andwillbeallocatedaccordingtoasetofconditionstobesetoutbyGovernment inBudget2017,withtheadviceof the IrishFiscalAdvisoryCouncil. Themoneywilleitherbesaved(usedforadditionaldebtreduction)orinjectedintotheeconomy,inlinewiththeneedsofeconomicandfiscalstability.

In thisway,ourPlanwilleliminatenewgovernmentborrowingby2018,andwillkeepthepublicfinancesinsurplusthereafter.

Together with our plan to sell at least half of thetaxpayers’stakesinthebailed-outbanksby2021(withtheresttobesoldthereafter),ourLongTermEconomicPlanwillbringgovernmentdebt levelsdown towellbelowtheEUaverage,providingtheeconomywithasafetybufferagainstunexpectedshocks.


the agriculture and food sector is a strategic priority for fine gael. we recognise that farm families are the heartbeat of the rural economy and our vision for the sector will inspire the next generation to continue the tradition of family farming.


13FINE GAELGeneralElectionManifesto2016

1.Agriculture and Food

TheAgricultureandFoodsectorisastrategicpriorityforFineGael.Werecognisethatfarmfamiliesaretheheartbeatoftheruraleconomyandourvisionforthesectorwillinspirethenextgenerationtocontinuethetraditionoffamilyfarming.OurambitionistopositionIrelandasthehighestqualityfoodproducingnationintheworld,basedoninnovation,sustainabilityandfamilyfarming.

FoodWise2025 isourstrategicplan forcontinuedgrowth in the agri-food sector. This cross-sectoralstrategy has been developed in conjunction withindustrystakeholdersandmapsthewayforwardforallsectorsincludingdairy,meat,preparedconsumerfoods, seafood,whiskeyandcraftbeer,horticulture,forestryandtillage.TheimplementationoftheFoodWise 2025 strategy will be a fundamental priorityfor Fine Gael and will help inform decision makingin termsofpolicyand taxationmeasures for futurebudgets.

Fine Gael is committed to ensuring that agri-foodbusinessesaresupported,fromthelargestoperatorsinthesectortothesmallestofartisanfoodbusinesses.Consciousthatthenumberofartisanfoodbusinesseshas increased substantially in recent years, we willbuild furtheron thisgrowthandhelpsmallartisansscaletheirbusinesses.

By2025,wewilldeliver:•Anincreaseinvalueofexportsby85%to€19bn

•Anincreaseinvalueaddedby70%to€13bn

•Anincreaseinvalueofprimaryproductionby65%toalmost€10bn

•The creation of a further 23,000 jobs in the agri-foodsector

Protecting Farming Incomes: We successfullynegotiated a reformed and fairly redistributedCommonAgriculturalPolicy(CAP),securing€12.5bninCAP funds, and introducedanew taxcredit andreduced USC rates, enhancing the viability of Irishfarms. We also introduced new regulations undertheConsumerandCompetitionAct to tackleunfairpracticesinthegrocerytradeandwillpursuefurtheractions at an EU and domestic level to delivertransparency and fairness in the food supply chain.Duringasecondtermwewill:

•Continue to seek out new markets and promotesustainable farming practices to mitigate thedifficultieswhichpricevolatilitycancreate

•FineGaelhasdeliveredthefirstlegalframeworkforProducerOrganisations inthebeefsector.Wewillencouragetheuseofthisframeworktodevelopa

The Agriculture and Food sector is a strategic priority for Fine Gael. We recognise that farm families are the heartbeat of the rural economy and our vision for the sector will inspire the next generation to continue the tradition of family farming. Our ambition is to position Ireland as the highest quality food producing nation in the world, based on innovation, sustainability and family farming.



moreprofessionalnegotiatingrelationshipbetweenfarmers and processors, ensuring farmers are notjustpricetakers.

•Continuetousethetaxsystemtoencouragestrategicchangeinagriculturetosupportfarmincomes

Farm Gate Investment: Fine Gael has committed€4bn to on-farm investment through the RuralDevelopmentProgramme(RDP).SchemeslikeGLAS,TAMS, the Beef Data and Genomics Programme,locally led environmental schemes, knowledgetransferprogrammes,horticulture,organicsandAreasofNaturalConstraintarebeingrolledoutasapriority.FineGaelwilldrivetheimplementationoftheRDPinthe interestsofall farmers,bigandsmall,acrossallsectorsandwillcarryoutamid-termreviewtoensurethefulldrawdownofallEUfunds.

WehaverenegotiatedanewFarmer’sCharterandwilldeliverontheagreedtargetsforprocessingpayments,schemesandservices,tothebenefitofallfarmers.

GENERATIONAL ChANGE – FARM FAMILIES ThelevelofambitionthatFineGaelhasforagriculturewill particularly encourage the next generation offarmfamilies.

young Farmers: Young farmers and new entrantsare vital for the continued growth and success ofthe sector. We have consistently prioritised youngfarmers, establishing the Young Farmers Scheme, afundofover€24mforeachoftheyears2015to2019.We have ensured that the Young Farmer CapitalInvestmentSchemewasthefirstunderthenewTAMSIItobeopenedundertheRDP.FineGaelestablishedpriorityforyoungfarmersandnewentrantsundertheNationalReserve.

AgriculturalColleges: Irishagriculture is inabetterplacethaneverbeforeandthisisparticularlyevidentinouragriculturalcolleges,whicharefullwithambitiousstudents. Fine Gael has increased the teacherallocationinagriculturalcollegestomeetthisgrowingdemandandwillensurethatthissectorcontinuestorespondtotheambitionsofthesestudentsandtotheneedsofthesector,whilecontinuingtoproducehigh-

calibreentrantstotheworkforce.WewillalsoreviewtheGreenCerttomakesureitisfitforpurpose.

Agri-TaxationMeasures:Wecompletedthefirsteverextensiveagri-taxationreview,resultinginapackageworth€300m, leading togreater landmobility andincreasedproductivity. Wearecommitted tousingthetaxsystemstrategicallytomoderniseandsupportagriculture through land leasing, partnership andmobilitymeasures.

FarmSafety:Farmsafety continues tobea criticalissue facing farming today. We have committed€12.2m,undertheRDP,tosupportanincreasedrangeof safety items. We will continue to work with thefarmingcommunityinpromotingsafefarmpractices.

SocialFarming:FineGaelwill buildon theexistingsocial farming initiative, which supports farmingoperationsonfamilyfarmsorininstitutionalsettings,offering, on a voluntary basis, farming, horticulturaland animal-related work experiences to peopleavailingofarangeofdaysupportservices.

SuppORTING ALL SECTORS Beef: We are committed to the beef sector and toincreasing profitability through greater efficiencies.TheBeefForumhasdemonstratedtheeffectivenessof bringing industry and farming organisationstogether in positive and open engagement. TheBeefDataandGenomicsProgrammewillspendover€300monmodernisingand improvingefficiency inthe beef herd as well as supporting farm incomes.This,intandemwiththeintroductionofaframeworkfor producer organisations and knowledge transferschemes(discussiongroups),willsupportfarmersinincreasingefficiencyandprofitability.

Dairy: The abolition of milk quotas continues torepresentthebiggestopportunityfortheIrishdairysectorand,asmarketsstabilise,FineGaelwillensurethat Irishproducersarebestplacedtobenefitfromthis, on the back of prudent investment. We willcontinuetoconveneadairyforumtomanagegrowth,ensure sustainability and address challenges withinthe sector. Fine Gael has invested heavily in thefutureofthissectorthroughsupportsforprocessorsexpandingtheirenterprises,andthisisbeingmatched


by on-farm capital investment through TAMS andknowledgetransferschemes.Wehavealsosupportedfarmersthroughtherecentperiodofmarketvolatilitywith a €25m compensation fund. We will alsoencouragetheestablishmentofafuturesmarketfordairyproduceandencouragepricestabilisationtoolstocombatpricevolatility.

Sheepmeat: Developing the sheep sector is a keyfocusoftheFoodWise2025strategy.Wewillimproveefficiencyandprofitabilityinthesectorthroughtheknowledgetransferprogramme(discussiongroups).WewillfurthersupportsheepfarmersthroughGLAS,the Areas of Natural Constraint scheme and TAMS.FineGaelisalsocommittedtoaspecificnewsupportprogrammeforthesheepsectorinthecontextofthemid-term review of the RDP, reflecting the prioritythatweattachtomaintainingnumbersinthesheepflock.

Poultry: We have established a dedicated schemefor investment in the poultry sector, assistingproducers in modernising their facilities, increasingcompetitivenessandreturnswithinthesector. FineGael will also continue to support the industry inaddressing animal health issues like campylobacterthroughtheestablishedworkinggroup, involvingallstakeholdersacrossthesector.

Pigmeat: We are providing support for on-farminvestment through TAMS II. The on-farm animalhealthandwelfarescheme,providedthroughtheRDP,willbenefitthepigsector.WewillworkwiththePigIndustryStakeholdergrouptoenhanceareassuchasfoodsafety,quality,animalwelfareandenvironmentalsustainability. Thedevelopmentof a viablepigmeatsectorisapriorityforFineGaelandwewillcontinueto pursue new and alternative markets to provideopportunitiesforcertaintyandgrowthinthesector.

Organic Sector: Under Fine Gael, support for theOrganic Farming Scheme has doubled, with €52mearmarkedforthesectoroverthecourseoftheRDP.Asafurthersupport,adedicatedCapitalInvestmentSchemefortheorganicsectorhasbeenincludedinTAMSII.

TillageSector:Wearecommittedtoagrowingandprofitable tillage sector in Ireland. Fine Gael willcontinuetoputinplacesupportsandmeasuresaimed

at improving the level of production, quality andviabilityof the Irish tillagesector.Wewill introduceanewTAMSschemeaimedspecificallyatthetillagearea to improve efficiency and profitability. We arecurrentlyseekingEUapprovalforthisscheme.

Horticulture: We recognise the importance of thehorticulture sector and will continue to prioritisecapital investment fordevelopment in thisarea.Werecognisethepotential togrowtheoutputvalueofthissectortoover€500minthemediumtermandwilldeliverontheactionsintheFoodWiseStrategytoachievethistarget.Weareconsciousoftheneedtosafeguardthissectorfrompotentialunfairpracticesinthegrocerysectorandwillmonitortheimpactofnewlegislationinthisareainthatcontext.

Forestry:Theroleofforestryintheefforttomitigateagainstclimatechange isverysignificant.FineGaelwill implement theForestryProgramme2014-2020.Theprogrammetargetsanincreaseinplantingeachyearoverthelifetimeoftheprogramme,commencingwith6,000haofnewforestsinyearone,increasingto8,290hain2020.TheprogrammewillaimtobuildonresearchbyCOFORDontheeligiblelandconsideredsuitableforforestryacrossthecountry.

IslandFarming:Inrecognisingtheuniquechallengesof island farming under the new Areas of NaturalConstraints (ANC) Scheme, we secured, for thefirsttime,aspecialpaymenttoassist islandfarmersin preserving traditional farming methods andpreventinglandabandonment.€15mwillbeinvestedinislandcommunitiesduringthecourseoftheRDP.

Commonage/HillFarmers:FineGaelrecognisesthatsomefarmersareworkinginchallengingconditions.TheANCSchemewillinvest€195mannuallyinareasofdisadvantage.FineGaelwillalsocontinuetoprioritiseaccessforfarmersincommonageorrestrictedareasthrough agri-environment schemes like GLAS. Wewillcontinuetoplayasupportiveroleinsustainablymanagingfarmingoncommonages.

Locally Led Agri-Environment Schemes: Fine Gaelwill roll out Locally Led Agri-Environment Schemes(LLAES),whichwill targethabitatssuchas thehenharrier,pearlmussel,Burren,alongwithotherlocallyled schemes which address specific environmentalconcerns.



HorseandGreyhoundSectors:FineGaelhasshownadeterminationtoprioritisetheHorseandGreyhoundsectors,by significantly increasing fundingover thelast5years.WeseethesesectorsasfundamentallyimportanttoruralIrelandandwillcontinuetoprioritisestrategic investment, support and modernisation inthisarea.CommittingtoprojectslikethenewCurraghracecourse is a sign of things to come in terms ofcapitalinvestmentinthesector.

In the greyhound sector, we have encouragedstrategic reform and growth, and increased prizemoney by 25%. We will prioritise further reform,through the implementation of the Indecon Reportrecommendations and the introduction of newgovernancelegislation.

Fine Gael recognises the contribution of the sporthorse industry and will work with stakeholders toimplement its 10-year strategy, which is designedto improve quality through improved breeding,educationandtrainingaswellaswelfare,marketingand sales expertise. We will explore new fundingmodelsforthesporthorsesector,toprovidethekindoffinanceneededtodevelopandmaintainIreland’spositionasaworldleaderinthebreedingandtrainingofsporthorses.

REALISING OuR AMbITION Growing our Exports: Food Wise 2025 sets out aframeworktoharnesstheambitionofIrishproducersfor further growth across all subsectors of the Irishagri-food industry. Fine Gael’s record in increasingreturns to Irish farmersbydeliveringaccess tonewmarketsisunrivalled.ThroughcontinuedcooperationwithBordBiaandournetworkofIrishembassies,wewillcontinuetodrivetrademissionsandseekoutnewmarketopportunities for Irishgoods. InthiscontextwearecommittedtosignificantlyincreasingBordBiastaffnumbersinstrategicnewmarkets.

Climate Change: Fine Gael has made it very clearthat agriculture has a significant role to play inmeetingourclimatechangetargetsinthefuture.Weare committed to protecting the environment andreducing the emissions intensity of our productionsystems. Irelandis,andwillcontinuetobe,aworldleaderinrespondingtothenewchallengesofclimatechangeandglobalfoodsecurity.Wearecommitted

todesigninganddeliveringaveryambitiousclimatechange mitigation and adaptation strategy for Irishagricultureandthebroaderfoodindustry.Ourrecordis clear in the RDP and Origin Green programmes,whereclimatechangestrategiesonfarmsandinfoodbusinessesarewellunderway.

Improving Competitiveness and Sustainability:Our ambition for the agri-food sector is based ongrowingthe food industrysustainably.Ensuringourfoodisproducedtohighenvironmentalstandardswilldeliverenhancedprofitsforfarmersthroughgreaterefficiencyatthefarmlevelandabettermargininthemarketplace,aswellasdeliveringfortheenvironment.

Wearecommitted tobeing thefirstcountry in theworld toadopta sustainabilityaudit system,acrossproducer, processor and manufacturing levels. TheauditsystemwillcontinuetobedevelopedthroughtheOriginGreenprogrammeandwillbeenhancedbymeasuresundertheRDP,climatechangepolicyandtheFoodWise2025strategy.

OriginLabelling:WewillharnessIreland’sreputationandavailofanycompetitiveadvantagegeneratedbyexistinglabellingrules.

Live Exports: We remain committed to live cattleexports, under a licensing system, while continuingto work with the World Organisation for AnimalHealth, toensureanimalwelfare standardsaremet.Webelievethat liveexportsareanessentialpartofensuringpricecompetitionforfarmers.

ResearchandInnovation:FineGaelbelievesIrelandcanbecomeaglobalcentreforinnovationinthefoodanddrinksector.Bypromotingpartnershipsbetweenthe Department of Agriculture, Enterprise Ireland,Teagasc,BordBia,universitiesandthefoodanddrinksector,wewilldevelopnewprojectsandincreasethecompetitivenessofIrishgoods.

MaintainingAccess toCredit:WearenowworkingwiththeEuropeanInvestmentBankandtheEuropeanCommissiontodelivernewandmoreaffordablelinesofcreditforfarmersandtheagri-foodsectorgenerally.We are determined to see these new financialproducts in themarket in2016andwillcontinuetoprovidestate-backedfinancingoptionsforthesector.

TradeNegotiations:FineGaelwillsafeguardIreland’sdefensive and offensive interests in the context of


any future international trade negotiations. We willensure that our national interests are protected inanyfuturetradediscussions,withparticularfocusonbeefand foodsafetystandards. Wewillworkwiththe European Commission and our strong networkofcolleaguesacrosstheEuropeanPeople’sPartytoensurethebestpossibleoutcomefor Ireland inanyfuturenegotiations.

Industry Innovation: Fine Gael will continue toconsider new industry development opportunitiesinareassuchasenergycropsandsugarbeet.Newopportunitieswillbeassessedinconjunctionwiththerelevantresearchorganisations.

RObuST SySTEMS AND WELFARE AnimalHealthandWelfare:FineGaelhasoverseenthe most comprehensive reform and updatingof standards to protect the health and welfare ofanimalsin100years.Animalwelfarelawshavebeenstrengthenedandsupportsforwelfareorganisationshave been enhanced, with almost €9m awarded toanimalwelfareorganisationsduringthelast5years.

FineGaelintroducedanewdedicatedanimalwelfarehelplineforreportsofanimalcruelty,anewinspectionsystem for puppy farms, microchipping for dogs, anewcodeofpracticeandunannounced inspectionsfor circuses, a ban on tail docking and a range oflegislativechangesundertheControlofHorsesAct.ThefurtherimplementationoftheAnimalWelfareAct2013willcontinuetobeprioritisedbyFineGael.

FineGaelhasalsoinvestedinanUrbanHorseProject,to encourage greater care and welfare of horses inurban environments; we will roll out this project toadditionallocations.

Flooding:Manyfarmerswereadverselyaffectedbyrecentfloodingconditions.Weprioritisedthedeliveryof animal welfare assistance to farmers in floodedareas through the provision of emergency fodder,throughafodderaidschemeandahardshipschemeforfarmersinverydifficultcircumstances.Thisisanessential component of the broader effort to helpfarmers in challenging circumstances while alsoinvestinginappropriateflooddefences.

AnimalHealth:Wewillcontinuetodeveloparangeof programmes across the animal health area toimprove outcomes and quality across all sectorsand will publish a new Animal Health Strategy tofundamentallyunderpinouragri-foodsectorqualityassuranceprogrammes.

TBEradication:WearecommittedtofullyeradicatingTB by 2030. We have enhanced compensationarrangements for farmers to mitigate the lossesexperiencedbythosedealingwithsignificantlossesfromanoutbreak.WerecognisetheimprovementinTBlevelsinsomeareasisstillchallengedbyindividualblackspots,suchas inpartsofWicklowandwearecommittedtotargetingtheselocalisedissues.

Food Safety and Traceability: Our success as anindustry is fundamentally linked to food traceabilityand safety. Fine Gael will continue to build on ourexistingsystemstoensureproducersandconsumerscanbeassuredofqualityfromfarmtofork.



Promoting and supporting our arts, culture and heritage is good for our society, our economy and our national identity, both at home and abroad. fine gael recognises that our arts and culture have always been, and always will be, one of Ireland’s enduring strengths.


Promoting and supporting our arts, culture and heritage is good for our society, our economy and our national identity, both at home and abroad. Fine Gael recognises that our arts and culture have always been, and always will be, one of Ireland’s enduring strengths. The arts belong to everybody and Fine Gael is committed to increasing access to, and participation in, the arts, boosting our creative industries and preserving our heritage. Our approach is based on the belief that societies which invest in the arts and heritage are more prosperous, successful societies.

2.Arts, Culture and heritage

ARTS AND CuLTuREIreland2016:TheIreland2016CentenaryProgrammeisthenationalinitiativetocommemoratetheeventsofthe1916Rising,reflectonourachievementsoverthelast100years,andlookambitiouslytoourfuture.FineGaelwillcontinuetoimplementtheIreland2016Centenary Programme throughout 2016, to ensurethatthispivotalperiodinourhistoryiscommemoratedinan inclusive,appropriateand respectfulway.Thiswill include an extensive education programme, aseriesofstatecommemorativeeventsandmorethan2,000communityeventsplanned through the localauthoritynetwork.

DecadeofCentenaries: InthecomingyearswewillcommemoratethecentenariesofsomeofthemostsignificanteventsinthehistoryofthisState.Buildingon the success of Ireland 2016, we will ensure thatthese commemorations are inclusive, and enhanceourunderstandingofoursharedhistory,particularlyamongchildrenandyoungpeople,sothattheyhaveameaningfulandlastingimpact.

NationalCulturalPolicy:Wewillpublishthefirstevernationalculturalpolicy–Culture2025–aspartofourefforttorecogniseandpromoteourarts,cultureandheritage,andtoensuretheyreachtheirfullpotential.

Culture2025willconsiderarangeofimportantissuesincluding: supporting artists and creative workers,improvingaccesstoculture,breakingdownbarriersin areas of social exclusion and disadvantage, andhowculture isenrichedbygreaterculturaldiversity.ThepublicationofCulture2025followsawidespreadconsultationprocesswithrelevantstakeholders. It isintendedthatthiswillbealivingdocument,supportedbyanannualNationalCulturalConsultationDay.

TheArtsCouncil:FineGaelsupportsthe importantworkoftheArtsCouncilastheprincipalstateagencyforthepromotionanddevelopmentoftheartsandwillworkwiththeArtsCounciltoensuremoreartists,arts organisations and events are supported, whileat the same time further increasing transparency inthe Arts Council’s decision-making processes andimprovingcommunicationwithartsofficersandotherrelevantstakeholders.

RegionalArtsandCulturalCentres:Wewillintroducea new small grants scheme to provide essentialupgradestoexistingregionalartsandculturalcentresaround the country, including regional theatres. Wewillalsointroduceanewprogrammetoincreasetheparticipationofyoungpeople,particularlyinsociallydisadvantagedareas,intheirlocaltheatres.



RegionalMuseums:WewillboostsupportstoregionalmuseumsandfacilitateincreasedloansbetweenourNational Cultural Institutions and our network ofregionalmuseums.

InspiringIreland:FineGaelwillcontinuetosupportInspiring Ireland, a project to make Ireland’s richcultural heritage available online. Collections fromtheNationalCultural Institutionswillbeavailable toviewfreeofcharge,makingIrishcultureandheritageaccessibletopeopleworldwide.

InternationalArtisticFootprint:Irelandisrecognisedworldwideasacountryofimmenseculturaltalentandartisticcreativity.ThroughtheworkofCultureIreland,FineGaelwillcontinue tosupportopportunities forIrishartiststopresenttheirworkabroad,whichhassignificantbenefitsforIrishartists,aswellasattractingbusinessandtourismtoourshores.

Creative Education: Fine Gael acknowledges thebenefitstochildrenwhoengageintheartsandwillcontinuetoimplementtheArtsinEducationCharter,which provides an unprecedented opportunity forchildrenandyoungpeopletoengageinaproactiveandmeaningfulwaywithartsineducationinIreland.

CultureNight:FineGaelrecognisesCultureNightasauniqueoccasionintheIrishculturalcalendar,wheretheIrishpublicaregivenunrivalledaccesstoartsandheritagevenues.WewillworktoincreasetheregionalspreadofCultureNightthroughdirectengagementwith,andsupportfor,localauthorityartsofficers.

NationalMusicalInstrumentLibrary:FineGaelwillrolloutaNationalMusicalInstrumentLibraryforchildrenandyoungpeople,whereavarietyofinstrumentscanberentedoutforanominalfeeonacountrywidebasis.Wewillalsocontinuetosupport‘MusicGeneration’toensureprogrammesaresustainedonalong-termandlastingbasiswithLocalMusicEducationPartnerships.

RecognisingArtists:Wewill introduceastandaloneawardthatrecognisesandrewardsIrish-basedartistsfortheirworkandseekstopromotethematdomesticandinternationallevel.

PublicArt:FineGaelwillworkwiththeArtsCounciland local authority arts officers to identify andpromote public art spaces in our major towns andcities.Thesespaceswillhelptoshowcasetheworkofemergingartistsandwill help todriveeconomicregenerationinurbanareas.

Building Links with the Business Community: Wewill further encourage strong, mutually beneficiallinks between the business community and artsorganisations.Thisapproachwillbebasedonhelpingarts organisations to capitalise on sponsorshipopportunities,anddevelopbusinesspartnershipsandfundraisingskills.

BoostingPhilanthropy:FineGaelbelievesphilanthropyshouldbepursuedasapositivecomplementto,ratherthansubstitutefor,statefundingfortheartsandourcultural institutions.Wewillbuildon thesuccessofinitiatives such as the New Stream initiative, whichhashelped toboost the fundraisingcapacity in theIrish arts sector. We will also establish a dedicatedphilanthropicfundtohelpdrivephilanthropicgivingtoourculturalinstitutions.

TaxReliefonDonations:WewillextendtheSection1003 tax relief to importantheritage items that aredonated to regional museums, as well as culturalinstitutions.

European Capital of Culture: We will promotethe European Capital of Culture, which Ireland willhost in 2020, as a key driver of tourism and urbanregeneration. It will be used as an opportunity toshowcasethesuccessfulcityandtheentirecountryasalocationforartisticexpression.

Arts and Heritage Officers: We will encourageeach local authority to strengthen the role of artsand heritage officers. We will establish strongerlinks between arts and heritage officers, the OPW,Fáilte Ireland, the Arts Council, as well as with theLocal Enterprise Office, to develop and promoteopportunitiesforartsandculturaltourism.

Irish Film Board: Fine Gael will work with the IrishFilm Board/Screen Ireland to ensure that Irelandis maximised as a location for international filmproduction.Havingincreasedthecapfrom€50mto€70minBudget2016,FineGaelwillworktofurtherimprove the Section 481 Tax Relief. We will alsoincrease the number of training courses availablein Screen Training Ireland for graduates seeking toentertheaudio-visualindustry,includingourthrivinganimation sector, and will introduce a new schemeaimedatincreasingthenumberofwomenworkinginthefilmindustry.FineGaelwillworkwithindustrytosetupanapprenticeshipprogrammetoaddresstheskillsneededintheaudio-visualsector.


SkillsDatabase:Wewillestablishanewonlineportalwhich will act as a skills database for the audio-visual sector, for the benefit of both domestic andinternationalemployers,andprospectiveemployees.

CreativeSectorTaskforce:WewillestablishaCreativeSectorTaskforce,whichwilldrawupanActionPlanforGrowthacrosstheentiresector,includingaudio-visual,gaming,animationandmusic.

hERITAGE Promoting our Cultural Heritage: We will establisha strategic partnership between the Department ofArts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, the DepartmentofTourism,OPW,Fáilte Ireland,TourismIrelandandother relevantagencies topromoteouruniqueandvaluablecultureandheritageassetsinaunifiedway,inordertoboostculturaltourism.

National Heritage Plan: Fine Gael will develop andpublishanupdatedNationalHeritagePlanthatsetsoutpoliciesfortheprotectionandpromotionofourbuiltandnaturalheritageandrespondstochallengeswithintheheritagesector.

Protecting our Heritage: We recently announceda €2m Built Heritage Investment Scheme for therepairandconservationofuniqueheritagestructuresacrossthecountry.Thisfund,whichisbasedonthesuccessful Built Heritage Jobs Leverage Scheme, isjobsintensiveandwillhelptoregenerateurbanandrural areas.Wewill continue thisprogrammeonanannualbasistosupporttheconservationofheritagestructuresacrossthecountry.

Historic Towns Initiative: We will expand thisinitiativetoincludeanadditional15towns,followingthe successful pilot in 2013 and 2014. The schemeharnesses the cultural and natural heritage assetsof Ireland’shistorictowns, tostimulateregenerationandtobringbenefitsintermsofthelocaleconomy,employment, and social, environmental and culturalfactors.

LivingCityInitiative:Wewill reviewtheLivingCityInitiativeandtheconditionsthatapplytothesizeofpropertiesinordertoboosttheattractivenessofthescheme,whichwillcontributetobothbuiltheritageandurbanregeneration.

Historic Houses: We will implement therecommendationsof the recentlypublishedHistoricHouseActionPlantosupportasustainablefutureforthehistoricIrishcountryhouses.

uNESCOCulturalHeritage:FineGaelwillimplementthe UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding ofIntangible Heritage so that Ireland’s unique culturalheritageassets, suchashurling,uilleannpipingandthe Folklore Collection in UCD, are given UNESCOrecognitionandstatus.

National Parks: Fine Gael recognises our nationalparksasoneofourmostsignificantnaturalresources,as well as a major tourism and local recreationalresource.Wewillworktoimproveexistingtrailsinournationalparksandexaminehowthisnetworkcouldbeexpandedfurthertoofferimprovedheritagetrailsandrelatedtoursoflocalheritagesites.Tofurtherthisgoal,wewillalsoworkwiththerelevanttourismbodiestoensureournationalparksarebetterpromoted.

PeatlandsManagement:FineGaelwillimplementtheNationalPeatlandsStrategy,whichsetsoutawhole-of-governmentapproachtomanagingourpeatlandsin a sustainable way, based on engagement withthe localcommunity. Wewillalsowork todevelopourpeatlandsastouristattractionsandrecreationalresourcesforthelocalcommunity.

InlandWaterways:Wewillcontinue todevelopourbluewaysasatourismandrecreationalresource,andasasuitablelocationforevents,festivalsandsportingactivities. We will also enhance our waterways asimportant local amenities, by improving adjoiningfacilities,suchaswalkwaysandcyclepaths.

ulster Canal: Following the recent Fresh StartAgreement,wewillensurethattheIrishGovernmentundertakes a review, with the Northern IrelandExecutive, to identify options for jointly developingfuturephasesoftheUlsterCanalrestorationproject,for consideration by the North South MinisterialCouncilinJune2016.


3.bankingFine Gael is putting consumers at the heart of our plan for the banking sector over the next 5 years. We want to empower consumers with choice, credit and confidence.

Fine Gael is putting consumers at the heart of ourplanforthebankingsectoroverthenext5years.Wewanttoempowerconsumerswithchoice,creditandconfidence:

•Choiceincompetitiveservicesandproducts,choiceinhowtomanageyourmoneyandchoice inhowyouspendyourmoney

•Creditforconsumersandbusinesseswhichiseasilyaccessibleandavailableindiverseforms

•Confidencethatyourmoneyissecureandthatyouwillbetreatedwithfairnessateverystageofyourlife

ChOICEIncreasingTake-upofBankAccounts:Approximatelyone-fifth(20%)ofIrishhouseholdsdonothaveabankaccountandthisproblemdisproportionatelyaffectsthepoor,thedisabledandtheelderly.Inanincreasinglydigitalera,nothavingacurrentaccountcanpreventpeople from accessing cheaper goods and serviceswhichareexclusivelyavailableonline.FineGaelwillseek to promote the use of new enabler/standardbankaccounts(suchasthenewAnPostePaymentaccount).Empoweringthesehouseholdswillunlockthe benefits of epayments and complement thePathwaystoWorkPlanforJoblessHouseholds.Wearedeterminedtoincludeeveryoneinthisrecovery.

NewNationalPaymentsPlan:FineGaelwillinstigatea National Payments Plan, with particular focus onSMEs. A key priority will be encouraging SMEs to

switchfromchequestoelectronicpayments,toreducebothredtapeandcosts.Wewantallconsumerstohavetheoptionofpayingelectronically.

Credit unions: Fine Gael recognises the vital rolethatcreditunionsplayintheircommunitiesandthesupporttheyprovidetothelocaleconomyinwhichthey operate. We are committed to ensuring thatcreditunionsdonotjustsurvive,butthattheybenefitfromregulatorysupport, inorder torespondtotheneeds of a changing economy and to increasinglysophisticatedusers.Specificallywewill:

•Support the rollout and extension of the PersonalMicrocredit Scheme, which is providing simplemicroloanstomembersandhelpingtocombattheuseofmoneylenders

•Assistcreditunionsinmakingsuccessfulapplicationsto retainmembers’ savings inexcessof€100,000(CP88), recognising the independence of theRegistrarofCreditUnions

•AsktheCentralBankofIrelandtoinstigateareviewof the continued appropriateness of the savingslimit within a year of the formation of the nextgovernment

•Work with the Registrar of Credit Unions at theCentral Bank to gradually lift current lendingrestrictionsasappropriate,includingforhousing

•Supportcreditunions’movetowardsmoreelectronicand online services, including the rollout of debitcardsandenhancedonlinebankingservices

•AsktheCreditUnionAdvisoryCommittee(CUAC)to



conductareview,andreportbytheendofJune2016,on the implementation of the recommendationsoutlinedintheReportoftheCommissiononCreditUnions.

A Competitive Banking Sector: Fine Gael hasstabilisedthebankingsector,withbothAIBandBankofIrelandfunctioningasstronguniversalbanks,andPermanentTSBincreasinglyoperatingasachallengerbank. Fine Gael wants to see more entrants and avibrantbankingsectorwithrealcompetitioninordertosupporttherecoveringeconomy.Wewillactivelysupport measures to increase competition in themarketandachieveafairerdeal forconsumersandSMEs.

Standard variable Rates: We believe increasedcompetition from outside and within the bankingsectoristhebestwaytodrivedownstandardvariablerates.Wewill:

•Establishacodeofconductforswitchingmortgageprovider, administered by the Central Bank, whichshouldinformandencouragemortgageholderstoswitchtomorecompetitivebanks

•Propose a standardised and dedicated switchingform, which will be simple to use and quick toadminister

CREDITAccesstoFinance:Accesstofinancewillbeabsolutelycritical to realising our ambition that Ireland willbecomealeadingcountryforstart-upsandthatourenterpriseswillmoreeasilyprogressincapacityandscale.Toachievethis,weneedtodeliver€1bnperyearfromnewsourcesoffinance to supplementnormalbankofferingstoSMEs.

Such an ambitious goal will require a mixture ofsourcesandinclude:

•Newformsofequity

•Mid-sizeinvestmentrounds

•Development finance for manufacturing andinternationalservices

•Newformsofexportandtradefinance

•Peer-to-peerlending

Wewill alsoensure that there is carefulmonitoringof the performance of the institutions in this area(suchasMicrofinance IrelandandtheSBCI)sothatwecontinuallyupdateourknowledgeontheneedsofenterprise,astheyemerge,aswemovetodeliveronthisambitioustarget.

European Investment Bank (EIB): Fine Gaelrecognises the valuable resource that the EIBrepresents, in funding projects of social value anddelivering balanced regional development. We willworkwiththeEIBto:

•Facilitateeasieraccesstocapital,especiallyforSMEs

•Streamline procedures to help businesses acrossIrelandtocompeteforEU-fundedprojects

•Focus on directing structural funds to the areasmostinneed

InternationalFinancialServices:FineGaelprioritisedinternational financial services by appointing aMinister of State with specific responsibility for thearea. We are targeting 10,000 jobs in this sectorthroughour IFS2020Strategyandwewill seek toexploitemergingsub-sectorssuchaspaymentsandfinancialtechnology(fintech).

Payments Industry: Fine Gael believes Ireland’spayments industry has high growth potential. WewillcreateaPaymentsForumtocoordinatethekeyplayersinthepaymentsindustryandasktheForumtopublishanationalstrategyfortheindustry,drawingonbestinternationalpractice.

Fintech: Ireland is a world leader for fintech start-upsandFineGaelwillworkwithindustry,EnterpriseIrelandandtheIDAtobolsterfundingforthissector.

NAMA:WewillworkwithNAMAtorepayallseniordebtby2018andgenerateasurplusof€2bnbythetimeofitswind-down,in2020.WewillalsoseektoensurethatNAMAcontinuestodelivernewresidentialand social housing units, agree rent reductions forSMEsandcollaboratewiththeIDAtomaximisenewbusinessinvestmentopportunitiesfromitsportfolio.

Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) andResponsible Investment: Fine Gael believes thatenvironmental, social and governance (ESG) issuesimpactonlong-terminvestmentperformanceandwewilldirecttheISIFtocontinuetooperateaResponsible



InvestmentPolicyandremainasignatoryoftheUNPrinciplesforResponsibleInvestment.

Capital Acquisitions Tax: We will improve the taxtreatment of gifts and inheritances from parents toyoung adults, by increasing the capital acquisitionsGroupAthresholdto€500,000.

CONFIDENCESellingBankAssets:Wearecommittedtodisposingof the State’s investments in the banking sectorwhenmarketconditionsareright,andtorecoveringall the taxpayers’ money invested by the currentGovernment. In order to help undo the damage toIreland’spublicfinancesfromthebankingcrisisandtoprovideabufferagainstfuturerisks,allproceedsfromthedisposalofbankassetswillbeusedtopaydowngovernmentdebt.

FinancialRegulation:FineGaelhasplayedakeypartinbuildinganewEUregulatoryframeworkforfinancialandbankingstability.Wewillcontinuetosupporttheestablishment of a European Banking Union with asinglerulebooktoensuretheEurozonecrisiswehavejustexperiencedcanneverhappenagain.

Wehave radicallyoverhauledandstrengthenedthepowers of the Central Bank. We are determined tobuildonthestructuresandsupervisorymechanismsinplacetoensurethebankingmalpracticeandlight-touchregulationofthe2000sisneverallowedtore-emergeinIreland.

IndependenceoftheCentralBank:WewillprotecttheindependenceoftheCentralBankasaguardianoffinancialstability.Wesupporttheintroductionoftherecentlyannounced“CountercyclicalCapitalBuffers”asawaytoensurethatneveragainisrunawaycreditgrowthallowedtodestroyourfinancialstabilityandeconomicprosperity.

European Banking union: Ireland will participatefullyintheEuropeanBankingUnionandsupporttheintroduction of a European-wide deposit insurancescheme.webelievethiswillhelpreduceinterestrates,forSMEsandhomeowners,toEuropeannorms.

CentralCreditRegister:WewillworkwiththeCentralBanktointroduceaCentralCreditRegisterwithinthefirst fewmonthsof thenextDáil term.This registerwill for thefirst timebring togethercomprehensivefinancial information on borrowers and should helpprevent individuals over-indebting themselves, ashappenedintheleaduptothecrisis.

FrameworktoSupportMortgageHoldersinArrears:Fine Gael established the Insolvency Service ofIreland, a strict set of mortgage arrears resolutiontargetsforthebanksandamortgage-to-rentscheme.FineGaelwantstokeeppeopleintheirhomesand,buildingontheprogresswhichhasseenthenumberin mortgage arrears decline for 9 consecutivequarters,wewillcontinuetoadaptandstrengthentheexistingmortgagearrearsframeworkasnecessary.Inaddition, the Money Advice and Budgeting Service(MABS) has been established as a “one-stop shop”pointofinformationandguidanceforhomeownersinmortgagearrears,withadedicatedmortgagearrearsserviceinkeylocationsandwithnationwidecoverage.

Wewillalsointroduceanewschemetohelppeoplewhoare insolvent,and inmortgagearrearsontheirhome,toaccessindependentexpertfinancialandlegaladvice.Thisschemewillofferveryimportantsupportandhopetopeopleingenuinefinancialdistressandanxiety,whocan’taffordthehelptheyneed.MABSwillbethegatewaytothisschemeandwillarrangeforadviceandrepresentationfromapersonalinsolvencypractitioner,aspecialisedMABSadviser,orasolicitor,asneeded.


By keeping the recovery going, our aim is that by 2020, Ireland will have brought home at least 70,000 of the emigrants forced to leave because of the crisis. Fine Gael believes that the lives of all of our citizens will be enriched by their return.

bRINGING OuR FRIENDS AND FAMILy hOME#HomeToWorkCampaign:Ourrecoveringeconomyhas provided new employment opportunities foremigrantswhowishtoreturnhome.Wewillcontinuethe#HomeToWorkcampaign. Wewillbuildontherecommendationsofthe inauguralGlobal IrishCivicForumto further identifyandaddress theneedsofemigrantswishingtoreturnhometoIreland.

More and Better Jobs: Our Long Term EconomicPlanaims todeliversustainable fullemploymentby2020.Wearereplacingtheunsustainableenterprisemodel leftbehindbyFiannaFáilwithanexport-ledstrategytoaddafurther200,000jobs.Ourtargetsareambitiousbutwillbeunderpinnedbyaseriesofsectoralgrowthstrategiesandregionalactionplansforjobsacrossthecountry.

uSC Abolition: As well as encouraging greaterdomestic labour market participation andentrepreneurship, we believe that USC abolition, asanintegralpartofourLongTermEconomicPlan,willencourageatleast70,000emigrantstoreturnhome,byincreasingIreland’sattractionasadynamichubfortalent.

InvestinginBetterServices:OurLongTermEconomicPlanwillprovideforbetter-resourcedpublicservicesand an additional 10,183 doctors, nurses, Gardaí,

teachers, social workers and other frontline serviceworkers.Wehavealsocommittedtoa€42bnCapitalPlan to provide for more schools, better roads andbetterhealthfacilities.

SupportingFamilies:WewillprovideforanextensionoffreeGPcaretoallchildren,asecondfreepre-schoolyear, and a €2,000 childcare subsidy for workingparentsofchildrenagedbetween9monthsand36monthsinformalchildcaresettings.Tomeethousingdemand,FineGaelwillsupportanincreaseinannualhousing output to a sustainable level of 25,000 by2021.

A More Inclusive, Diverse, Fair and ProgressiveSociety:FineGaelwillcontinuetopromoteamoreinclusive,diverse,fairandprogressivesociety.Asthefirstcountryintheworldtovoteformarriageequality,Irelandshouldcontinueto leadbyexample.Wewillpromote equal gender treatment in the workplace,recognisethediversityofourcommunitiesandassistthosewithadisability to fullyparticipate insociety.Fine Gael will also strengthen parental choice anddiversityinourschoolssystem,reflectingtheneedinmodernIrelandfornewformsofmulti-denominationalandnon-denominationaleducation.

Opportunities in the Public Sector: After years ofblanketrecruitmentfreezesacrossthepublicservice,asaresultoftheeconomiccrisis,wearecommitted

4.bringing our Friends and Family home



toallowingpublicservicebodiestobeginnewhiringprogrammesthatbringnewskills,energyandvitalityinto the public service. Fine Gael will extend openrecruitmentacrossallgradesofthecivilserviceandwiderpublicsectorandwewilloffermoreopportunityforstaffdevelopmentandpromotion.Astheeconomyrecovers,publicservants’paywillgraduallyrecoverinlinewiththeLansdowneRoadAgreement.

ThE IRISh DIASpORAFine Gael has always cherished the Irish DiasporaandourcommitmentwasunderlinedbythecreationofaMinister forDiasporaAffairs, thepublicationofIreland’sfirsteverDiasporaPolicyandthecreationoftheGlobalIrishCivicForum.

Support:WewillcontinuetosupportIrishcommunitiesoverseasthroughtheEmigrantSupportProgramme.

BusinessNetworks:Wewillcontinuetoworkcloselywith Irish business networks around the world,providing important mentoring and networkingopportunitiesforIrishpeopleoverseas.

Global IrishForum: Following the successful fourthGlobal Irish Economic Forum, we will revitalise andrestructure the Global Irish Network, recognisingthe changed economic circumstances since itsestablishment.

u.S.ImmigrationReform:AdvocatingforimmigrationreformintheUnitedStateswillremainapriority.WewillcontinuetouseallappropriateavenuestoadvancethecaseofundocumentedIrishcitizensandcontinuetosupporttheundocumentedthroughtheEmigrantSupportProgramme.

The Gathering: We will have a successor to TheGatheringin2019,buildingonthesuccessfulyearofTheGathering,whichreachedouttolocalcommunitiesandtheDiasporainauniqueway.

LocalDiasporaEngagement:FineGaelwillsupportlocal communities and counties in Ireland to reachouttotheirownDiasporaandbuildnewrelationships,recognisingthatIrishpeoplearoundtheworldhaveakeensenseofattachment to theirhomeplace. Inparticular,wewillfundtheLocalDiasporaEngagementFundtosupportlocalDiasporaengagementprojectsand initiatives and the Local Diaspora StrategyDevelopmentFundtoassistlocalauthoritiestoinvestindevelopingstrategiesforDiasporaengagementatlocalandcommunitylevel.

voting Rights: We will fully explore the matter ofvoting rights for Irish citizens resident outside theState,withaviewtoholdingareferendumongivingthemtherighttovoteinpresidentialelections.


Maintaining our natural environment and combatting climate change is an essential part of our plan to keep the recovery going. During our first term in office we have introduced a range of progressive policies to clean up our water and air. Fine Gael’s priority is to build on this progress so that we can safeguard our environment for future generations.

5.Climate Change, Energy and the Environment

CLIMATE ChANGE pOLICyWestronglysupportedtheParisClimateConference(COP21) in December 2015, where Ireland, inpartnership with 195 countries, adopted the firstever universal global climate deal, which sets out aglobalactionplantoputtheworldontracktoavoiddangerousclimatechangebylimitingglobalwarmingtowellbelow2°C.

ClimateChangeActandClimateChangevision:Weintroduced the first ever climate change legislationin Ireland, which reinforced our internationalcommitments to tackle climate change. Fine Gaelbelievesthatthetransitiontoalowcarbonsocietyby2050isanachievableandrealisticgoalandonethatwillsupportamoresustainableeconomy.

ClimateChangeTransitionandMitigationPlans:TheClimate Action and Low Carbon Development ActsetsouthowwewillproduceaNationalLowCarbonTransitionandMitigationPlan.ThePlanwill setoutIreland’s first statutory low carbon strategy for theperiodto2050.Aprimaryobjectiveofthemitigationplanwillbetobringaclearandstrongfocustoboththechallengesandtheopportunitiesoftransitioningtoalowcarbonfuture,andtheimportanceofapositively

focusedandcost-effectivenationaltransitionagenda.ThefirstNationalMitigationPlanwillfocusonfourkeysectors:

•Electricity gGeneration: The Plan will examinespecificmeasurestoreduceemissionsinelectricitygeneration,andwilloutlinehownewtechnologiescan be ready for incorporation into Ireland’selectricity system and that the cost of existingrenewabletechnologiescanbelowered.

•BuiltEnvironment:ThePlanwillfocusontheroleofenergyefficiencyanduseofrenewableenergiesinbothresidentialandnon-residentialbuildings,withtheaimof reducingemissionsandmakinghomesand businesses more comfortable, healthier andmoreefficient.

•Transport:ThePlanwillfocusonthedevelopmentof a cost-effective policy platform for reducingemissions and increasing energy efficiency acrossall transport modes. It will examine the role oftechnology, sustainable land use patterns, modalshift, travel demand, alternative fuel options andtheimpactofproposedmeasuresonothernationalpolicyobjectives.



•Agriculture: The Plan will focus on balancing theneed to control emissions with the economic andsocial objective of promoting the sustainabledevelopmentofaruraleconomy.Itwillexaminehowtoimprovetheenvironmentalimpactofagriculturethrough measures in the Rural DevelopmentProgramme 2014-2020, improving the uptake ofmitigationpracticesbyfarmers,increasingthelevelofforestcoverandcontinuingtoundertakerelevantresearch.

SustainableAgricultureIndustry:FineGaelbelievesthat protecting our environment and growing ouragri-food industry inanenvironmentallysustainablemanner is essential. We have produced, withindustry,theFoodWise2025strategy,whichchartsacourseforstrategic investment inenvironmentallysustainable approaches to agriculture, food andforestryproduction.

InnovationinagriculturecanplayanimportantroleintacklingclimatechangeandwewantIrelandtoremainasaworldleaderintheproductionandmanagementoflowcarbonandhigh-qualitysustainablefoodby:

•Further enhancing the Origin Green programmedesigned to establish Ireland as a world leader insustainablyproducedfoodanddrink

•Continuing to measure our environmentalsustainability credentials, ensuring they areunderpinnedbybestscientificpractice

•Implementing environmental elements of NationalProgrammes and the EU co-funded RuralDevelopmentProgramme2014-2020

•Prioritising research funding for sustainable foodproduction

Making use of Carbon Sinks: We will continue ourveryactiveafforestationprogrammeduringasecondtermofgovernment.Thisprogrammehasasignificantcarbonsinkvalueandshouldcontributetothegrass-basedsystemofagricultureweenjoyinIreland.Thistype of “joined-up thinking” will help us meet ouremissionsreductiontargetswhilealsoensuringthatvitalindustries,suchasagriculture,continuetothrive.

International Climate Change Funding: As part ofour Overseas Development Assistance (ODA), weprovide€34mperyeartobuildresiliencetoclimateextremes and integrate climate-smart agriculturalsolutionsintotheeconomicplanningofsomeoftheworld’s least developed countries. This year we will

commencecontributionstotheUnitedNationsGreenClimateFund,withaninitialcontributionof€2mthatwill rise in coming years. We will also continue tosupportformerpresidentMaryRobinson inherroleasUNSpecialEnvoyforClimateChangeandtheMaryRobinsonFoundationinitsworkonClimateJustice.

Electricvehicles:FineGaelwantsIrelandtobecomealeaderinthetake-upofelectricvehicles.Within6monthsofgovernmentwewillestablishadedicatedtaskforce to work on this goal, involving relevantgovernment departments, agencies, industry andrepresentativegroups.

Wewill implement the recommendationscontainedin the Government’s energy White Paper, Ireland’sTransition to a Low Carbon Energy Future 2015-2030,designedtoincreasethenumberoflowcarbonvehiclesontheroad.

RENEWAbLE ENERGyFine Gael believes that Ireland’s long-term interestsare best supported by further decreasing ourdependence on foreign fossil fuels through thecontinued development of indigenous renewableenergy.Wewillsupportthedevelopmentofarangeof technologies and will put in place a planningframeworkthatoffersabalancebetweenprotectingthe interests of local communities and the need todevelopindigenousenergygeneration.

Supporting Renewable Energy: Fine Gael willcomprehensivelyreviewpricesupportsforrenewableenergyfollowingtheclosureoftheREFIT2schemeand will introduce a new competitive, technologyneutralpricesupportforrenewableenergyfrom2016.

Onshore Wind Planning Guidelines: Fine Gaelunderstands the concerns of local communitieswhofeelthatwindfarmsareimposedonthem.Thetechnology surrounding wind farms has evolvedsignificantly since the last set of guidelines wasintroduced in2006.FineGaelwill update thewindfarm planning guidelines, within 6 months, to offera better balance between the concerns of localcommunities and the need to invest in indigenousenergyprojects.

Community Involvement in Energy Development:Fine Gael supports community participation inrenewableenergyandenergyefficiencyprojectsasitisinboththenationalandlocalinterest.


maintaining our natural environment and combatting climate change is an essential part of our plan to keep the recovery going. fine gael’s priority is to build on this progress so that we can safeguard our environment for future generations.



WewilladvancethisbyimplementingtheWhitePaperonEnergywhich,amongotherthings,commitsusto:

•Developingaframeworkforhowcommunitiescanshare in the benefits of substantial new energyinfrastructurewhichislocatedintheirarea

•Providing support for community-led projects inthe initial stages of development, planning andconstruction

•Establishing a register of community benefitpayments, and examining shared-ownershipopportunitiesforrenewableenergyprojectsinlocalcommunitiessupporting,inparticular,theemergingenergy cooperative movement as one means offacilitatingcommunityparticipation

Wave, Tidal Energy and Offshore Wind: Fine Gaelbelieves that wave and tidal energy will have animportant role in Ireland’s future renewable energymix.IntheimmediatetermthesetechnologiesarestillintheresearchanddevelopmentstageandFineGaelwill continue to provide exchequer support to fundfurther research, development and demonstrationof these technologies. This will include continuedsupport of research and testing facilities such asIrish Marine and Energy Research Cluster (IMERC)and the Atlantic Marine Energy Test Site. Fine Gaelwill continue to implement theOffshoreRenewableEnergy Development Plan to develop the broaderoffshoreenergysector.

Bio-Energy: Ireland has some of the best biomassgrowingconditionsintheworldandassuchFineGaelbelievesthedevelopmentofasustainablesectorwillplay a big role in decarbonising our economy. Wewillcontinuetosupportthetransitionofpeatpowerplantstogreateramountsofbiomass,andwewillworkwith industry to develop a sustainable indigenoussupplychain.Wewillalsointroducearenewableheatincentive(RHI),targetedatlargerheatusers,subjecttostateaidclearance.

pRICE COMpETITIvENESSGreaterCompetitionandLowerEnergyPrices:FineGaelwillasktheCommissionforEnergyRegulationandNewERA(thestatutoryshareholderadvisorybodywithin the National Treasury Management Agency(NTMA)toexaminethecurrentlevelofcompetitionintheenergymarketandtomakerecommendationsto

Government,bytheendof2016,onstructuralreformstoencouragegreatercompetitioninthemarket.

CompetitiveNetworks:Toensurethatacompetitivetransmission market benefits consumers, we willseparate ESB Networks from ESB’s generation andsupplyactivitiestocreatetwoseperatepubliclyownedcompanieswithin theESBGroup,as recommendedbytheEuropeanCommission,bytheendof2017.

NewERAandCommercialSemi-States:Wewilladdthe Dublin Airport Authority, the CIE companies,and the sea ports of national significance to thelist of commercial semi-states under the NewERAportfolio. We will, subject to EU competitionpolicy constraints, transfer shareholdings in all thecommercialsemi-statesundertheNewERAportfolioto either the Minister for Finance or the Ministerfor Public Expenditure and Reform. NewERA willprovidebothministerswithfinancialandcommercialadvisoryservicesinrelationtotheactivitiesofthesecommercialsemi-states,includingontheexerciseofanyministerialconsentsrequired.Thiscentralisationof the ownership functions will help address theconflictsthatcanarisefrommanyministers’currentresponsibilities,asbothshareholderofacommercialsemi-stateandasapolicymaker.Lineministerswillremain responsible for policy matters in transport,water,energy,forestryetc.

NewERAwillbeaskedtosetoutanewdividendpolicyfor the commercial semi-states to increase overalldividend receipts. NewERA will also be mandatedtoprepareanewcomprehensive5-yearstrategybyMarch 2017 for the portfolio of commercial semi-states to ensure maximum coherence, cooperationand synergy in the delivery of renewable energy,broadband and infrastructure services. The cabinethandbookwillbechangedtorequirethateveryyearwhen theannual report andfinancial statementsofeach semi-state are presented to cabinet, they willbe accompanied by an analysis by NewERA of thefinancialstatementsandcompanystrategy.

SingleIrishElectricityMarketandRegionalEuropeanEnergyMarkets:Intheinterestsofsupportinglowerprices forconsumers,wewillcontinuetosupportafullyfunctioningsingleelectricitymarketfortheislandof Irelandandwewill alsoworkwithourEuropeanneighbours to develop a regional European energymarket.Acompetitivemarketisessentialtounderpinsustainablegrowthandkeeptherecoverygoing.


Better Energy Programme: Fine Gael will continueinvestment in the Better Energy Programme, whichhasalreadyprovidedgrantsto170,000households.

SmartEnergyManagement:FineGaelwillcontinuetousethepublicsector(includingschoolsandhospitals)asexemplarsofSmartEnergyManagement,andwewillsettargetsforachievingsavingsthroughenergyefficiency,monitoringandcontrol.

EnergyEfficiency:FineGaelwillsupporttheActionPlanforJobsgoaltoexpeditetheachievementofthe33% Energy Efficiency target for the public sectorby working with public sector organisations withanannualenergyspendof€500,000+togotothemarkettoidentifysolutionsforthedeliveryofenergyreduction services. We will launch another roundof the successful Energy Efficiency Fund to assistinvestmentinlarge-scaleprojects.

ENvIRONMENTAir quality: To improve air quality nationwide, FineGaelwillextendthebanonthesaleanduseofsmokycoalacrossthecountry.

Forestry:Theroleofforestryintheefforttomitigateagainstclimatechange isverysignificant.FineGaelwill implement theForestryProgramme2014-2020.Theprogrammetargetsanincreaseinplantingeachyearoverthelifetimeoftheprogramme,commencingwith6,000haofnewforestsinyearone,increasingto8,290hain2020.TheprogrammewillaimtobuildonresearchbyCOFORDontheeligiblelandconsideredsuitableforforestryacrossthecountry.

WaterChargesandquality:ThroughIrishWater,thequality of Irish natural and drinking water suppliesandwastewatertreatmentwillbeimprovedthrougha€5.5bninvestmentprogrammeto2021.Waterqualitywillbeimproved,boilwaternoticeswillbeeliminated,and the scandalof rawsewagebeingpumped intoourriversandseaswillbeended.WewillalsoensurethatIrishWateriskeptinpublicownership.

Wewillkeepwaterchargesattheircurrentleveluntil2018.Anyrise inaveragechargesafter2018willbelimitedto,atmost,theoverallrateofconsumerpriceinflation. We will also maintain a cap on maximumcharges for the entire duration of Irish Water’sBusinessPlan(2016-21).

Recycling: Fine Gael is committed to continuing tomaketheprogressnecessary for Irelandtobecomearecyclingsociety.Wewillmovetowardseliminatinglandfillingofmunicipalwaste,whilealsomaximisingthe resources that can be recovered from thiswaste. We will also look to implement a practicaland pragmatic Circular Economy package that willmake Ireland a more competitive, resource-efficienteconomy,whilealsoensuringthatanytargetsthataresetforIrelandarefairandachievable.

Haulbowline: Fine Gael prioritised the remediationoftheHaulbowlinesiteinCork,adjacenttothenavalbase. Work will continue in 2016 to deal with theenvironmentalclean-uprequiredandtheremediationoftheislandforfutureuseasamulti-amenitysite.

Green Public Procurement: Given the scale of theGovernment’sannualprocurementbudget,theStatehastheabilitytosignificantlyshapetheenvironmentalperformance of activity in the Irish economy. FineGaelwillworktoensurethattheGreenProcurementGuidelines are appliedacross thepublic sector andwewillamendthoseguidelines,ifnecessary,toensuretheir implementation. This action complements ourcommitment todriveenergyefficiencies inall statebuildingssuchasschoolsanddepartments.

FLOODINGFine Gael understands that the recent flooding hasbeenextremelydifficultformanycommunitiesacrossour country. We have seen an unprecedented levelofrain,withDecember2015recordedasthewettestmonth ever on record. Fine Gael is determined toactandwehaveaplan inplacetomitigateagainstflooding, protect homes, businesses and livelihoodsandtohelpthosewhohavebeenimpactedinrecentweeks,monthsandyears.

NationalFloodPlan:Wewillprovide€430m,aspartoftheCapitalPlan,forfloodmitigationinitiativestoprotect threatened localities from river and coastalflood risk. This investment means we will spendmore on flood relief over the next 5 years than wehaveinthelast20.TheintroductionofanewFloodRiskManagementprogrammeby theOPWwillputinplacealong-termplanofworkstosystematicallyidentifyandmitigatetheriskoffloodingacrossthecountry,providingaproactiveplanforat-riskareas.



Our investment programme will also support thelargest ever flood defence scheme undertaken bytheOPWandwillofferprotection fromflooding tothousands of residential and commercial propertiesacrossthecountry.

ShannonCatchmentFloodRiskImplementationandCoordination Group: This new group involving allrelevantagencieswilloverseetheimplementationoffloodmanagementplanstorespondtothe66areasalongtheShannonatriskofflooding.

National Flood Forecasting: We are establishing anew national flood forecasting system, staffed withadditionalpersonnel,toprovideregular,detailedandlocalisedinformationonfloodforecasting.

Pilot Scheme of Individual Home ProtectionMeasures:FineGaelbelievesthatinsomecasesthebestfloodprotectionmeasuresmayinvolveindividualprotectionmeasuresforhomes,suchasfloodgates.We are rolling out pilot schemes in Crossmolina inMayoandGraiguenamanaghandThomastowninCo.Kilkenny and will monitor the pilots closely with aviewtoafullrollout.

Flood Insurance: We have established aninterdepartmental group to examine the issue ofhouseholdsunabletoaccessfloodinsurance.Wehaveasked the Department of Finance to examine bestinternationalpracticeinothercountriesandreportonthemosteffectivewaytoensurethatallhomesandbusinessescanaccessfloodinsurance.

CoastalErosion:Coastalerosionposesasignificantrisk to communities around the country. Correctivemeasures are costly and it is simply impossible toprovideprotectiontotheentirecoastline.Itisprimarilyuptolocalauthoritiestoidentifyandaddresspriorityareas,butFineGaelwillcontinuetoinvestincoastalprotectionwhensuchexpenditureisjustified,drawingontheIrishCoastalProtectionStrategyStudy(ICPSS).

NATuRAL RESOuRCESOil and Gas Exploration: Fine Gael supports theexploration and extraction of offshore oil and gasreserves in our marine territory to boost energysecurity,jobcreationandtaxrevenue.Wewillensurethat Ireland operates a “best in class” regulatoryregimethatencouragesmoreindustryexplorationanddrilling.Whilemaintainingourcurrenttaxationmodel,wewillseekanassessment,withindustry,onwhethertheStateshouldkeepaminorityequitystakeinnewexploration licences, with equivalent developmentcosts,uptothepointofon-sitedevelopment.Wewillalsocontinuetoinvestinongoingseismicsurveyingof the Irish offshore area, to help industry andGovernmentevaluatefuturelicensingopportunities.

Whitegate: Fine Gael supports the continuation ofoilrefiningatWhitegate,asawayofprotectingourenergysecurity.

Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking): Fine Gael willnot allow any fracking to take place before theEnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA)haspublishedits comprehensive study on the new technology.ThereisaneffectivemoratoriuminplaceandthatwillremaininplaceuntiltheEPA’sadviceisreceivedandconsidered.

Geological Surveying: Fine Gael will continue tosupport the Tellus project. This geological survey isgenerating invaluable data, which has the potentialto lead to significant investment and a betterunderstandingofourlandscape.FineGaelwillworkwith local agencies to ensure local farmers will beawareoftheincreasedpresenceoflow-flyingplanesandinparticularthathorseownerscanplanaroundtheproject.


tospeedupprogress in this regard.WebelieveEUroaming charges should be scrapped altogether,consistentwiththeprincipleofasinglemarket.

Post Offices: Post offices are a local institution inhundreds of towns and villages throughout thecountry.FineGaelhasendeavouredtohalttherapiddecline inourpostofficenetworkwhichtookplaceduring the 2000s under Fianna Fáil. We recognisethat post offices face unprecedented challenges, ina climate of rapidly changing mail trends. We havejust renewed the Department of Social Protection’scontract for cash social welfare payments at postoffices,whichin2015wasworthapproximately€54m,with over 38 million social welfare payments beingmadeinpostofficesthroughoutthecountry.WewillswiftlyactontherecommendationsofthePostOfficeBusiness Development Group by supporting theintroductionandrollout,byAnPost,ofan“ePaymentAccount” in2016, toenhancepostofficeactivity infinancial services and increase footfall. We will alsosupport the establishment of a post office networkrenewalprocess,toreportwithin6months,tobuildonAnPost’sexisting5-yearstrategyforthenetwork.

4G and 5G: Fine Gael wants to see Ireland gainfirst-mover advantage in terms of releasing furtherspectrumandmoving tonewtechnologies.WewillworkwithComregandcommercialoperatorstohelpwiththisgoal.

COMMuNICATION NETWORKSBroadband: Within the next Dáil term, Fine Gaelguaranteestodelivernext-generationbroadbandtoeveryhouseholdandbusinessinthecountry.Notown,villageorparishwillbeleftbehindundertheNationalBroadband Plan (NBP) through a combination ofindustry and State investment, we will ensure that85%ofpremises in Irelandwill haveaccess tohighspeedbroadbandby2018,with100%accessby2020.

As part of the Capital Plan, the Government isprovidingan initial stimulus toprovide for theearlyyearsoftheState’ssupportoftheNBP.FineGaelisfullycommittedtoprovidingtheresourcesnecessaryto underpin this Plan. We are acutely aware of theimportance of high-speed broadband, especially torural Ireland, and we will do everything we can tospeedupthisPlan.

Mobile Phone Coverage: Fine Gael will work withthe telecommunications industry to improvemobilephone coverage by improving telecommunicationsinfrastructure. This will require collaboration withlocalcommunitiesandanumberofstatebodies,butworkisalreadyunderwayandweareconfidentthattogetherwecanimprovecoverage.

RoamingChargeswithintheEu:FineGaelstronglysupportstheprinciplethatroamingchargesshouldbeharmonisedacrosstheEUandwewillworkinEurope

Fine Gael knows Ireland needs to stay ahead of the curve in the rapidly changing world of communications if we are to keep the recovery going. We want to build on our progress to date, in making Ireland a leading location for digital innovation. This will allow us to create jobs, help nurture the businesses of tomorrow, and keep Irish people connected.

6.A Connected Ireland



agencies.Irelandisbecomingaleadingdestinationfordataanalyticsandthepublicservicewillbenefitfromusinginnovativeapproachestoimproveefficiency.

Data Analytics in the Private Sector: Under ourActionPlanforJobsweestablishedataskforceonbigdata,whichledtothelaunchofInsight,theScienceFoundation Ireland supported research centre fordata analytics and the largest publicly funded dataanalyticsR&DCentreinEurope.EnterpriseIrelandandIDA Ireland also launched the CeADAR TechnologyCentreindataanalytics.ThenextphaseofFineGael’ssupport of big data will be to create a supportiveenvironmenttodevelopthe“InternetofThings”.

The Internet of Things (IoT): Ireland is well placedtobecomeagloballeaderinthedevelopmentoftheIoT,andwewillsupportcountycouncilsinpotentialcollaborationswithindustrypartnersonsmartprojects.WewillinvestthroughScienceFoundationIrelandinstrategicallyimportantinfrastructureprojectssuchasthedevelopmentof“PervasiveNation”,anewwirelessnetworktestbedtosupportnewconcepts,businessmodels and devices, and to develop new radiotechnologies for IoT. We acknowledge the privacyandsecurityconcernssurroundingtheIoTandwewilldevelopanappropriateregulatoryenvironmentthatwillsupportinnovationwhilerespectingprivacy.

TheSharingEconomy:ThebiggestchangebroughtaboutbytheInternetisthatitallowspeopletoconnect.Inparticular,itdevelopedawholenewwayforsellersto connect with buyers. The Internet and the rapidevolution of mobile technology is allowing anyonetobecomeaselleroramicro-entrepreneur,whetheritbebyrentinganassetorprovidingaservice.Newplatformsarebeingdevelopedthatalloweveryonetoearnextraincomeinthissharingeconomy.

Thischangeishappeninganditisourresponsibilitytoensureweestablishasafeandreliableregulatoryenvironment to protect people. The evolution ofthesharingeconomyinIrelandwillempoweranewgeneration of micro-entrepreneurs and position usattheforefrontofdigital innovation.TothisendwewillpublishaNationalSharingEconomyStatementtobedevelopedbytheDepartmentofJobs,Enterprise

bRINGING IRELAND up TO SpEED MakingIrelandaEuropeanCentreofDataInnovation:FineGaelwillfurtherenhanceIreland’sreputationasaleadinglocationforforeigndirectinvestment(FDI),byoperatingabestinclassregimefordataregulation.We will develop a new overarching strategy in thenext12months,toensurewestayattheforefrontofnewdigitalinnovationinEurope.

DevelopingaEuropeanDigitalSingleMarket:DuringIreland’sPresidencyoftheEuropeanCouncil,FineGaelprioritisedthedevelopmentof theEuropeanDigitalSingleMarket,as itpresentednewopportunitiesforIrish businesses, FDI and Irish consumers. During asecondtermofgovernmentwewill:

•Support Irish businesses to get online throughcontinued investment in the Government’s OnlineTradingVoucherScheme

•Tackle the continued practice of “geo-blocking” –inasinglemarket,allEUcitizensshouldbeabletoaccesscontentfreelyacrossborders

•Support European efforts to modernise copyrightlaw

•SupportVATsimplificationtoeliminateredtapeforbusiness–withoutsupportinganyrateharmonisation

Supporting the Office of the Data ProtectionCommissioner: We have shown leadership inappointing a dedicated minister with responsibilityfordataprotectionanddoublingthefundingfortheOfficeoftheDataProtectionCommissionerandwehaveestablishedaDublinoffice.Wewillcontinuetoensure that this Office is adequately supported, toensure that citizens’ privacy is protected and thatbusinessesadheretodataprotectionobligations.

DataAnalytics inthePublicSector:Wewillensuregovernment departments and agencies meet theirobligationstoprotectpersonaldatathatisentrustedtothembycitizens.WewillalsoexpandtheremitoftherecentlyestablishedIrishGovernmentEconomicand Evaluation Service, to include a centre ofexcellenceindataanalytics,inordertoprovideskillsandservicesacrossallgovernmentdepartmentsand


bROADCASTINGScrapping the Broadcasting Levy: We will improvetheTV licence feecompliancerate.Wewilluse theadditional revenues to, among other things, fundtheBroadcastingAuthorityof Irelandandscraptheexistinglevyonbroadcasters.ThiswillhelpputIrishbroadcastersonamorelevelplayingfieldwithforeigncompetitors,whodonothavetopaythelevy.

EnsuringqualityandDiversity:FineGaelwillensurethecontinuedsupportofpublicservicebroadcasting.Local radio stations, independent producers, andnationalbroadcastersallplayanimportantroleinIrishsociety.Wewillimprovethesupportsandregulatoryenvironment of broadcasting to help deliver high-quality,diversebroadcasting.Wearealsocommittedtoensuringacompetitivemedia landscapeandwewill monitor the new media merger guidelines toensuretheyareeffective.Tosupportafairandlevelplayingfieldinbroadcastingwewillalso:

•Accept and implement the recommendation fromthe Broadcasting Authority of Ireland that it setadvertisinglimitsforallbroadcasters,includingradio

•RequesttheCompetitionandConsumerProtectionAuthority to compile a report on competitionwithin the broadcasting sector and to makerecommendationstoGovernmentbyend2016

SupportingIrishBroadcastingContent:Wewillupdateexistinglawstorequiresatelliteandcableoperatorsto pay for the rights associated with the contentprovidedbyIrishbroadcasters,astheycurrentlyenjoythis content free of charge. This free charge policywasputinplaceatatimetoencouragetherolloutofcablenetworksbutisnownolongerrequired.

andInnovation,theDepartmentofTransport,TourismandSport,theDepartmentofFinance,andwithinputfrom the Revenue Commissioners, to ensure clarityoftaxreportingobligationsandtoprovideadviceoneasymethodsofdeclaringearnedincome.

ProvidingtheSkills foraDigitalFuture:Aspartofour Digital Strategy for Schools, we will upgradeschoolICTandinstallrobustwirelessnetworksinallschools.ThisinvestmentwillprovidetheinfrastructuretosupportICTskillsontheschoolscurriculaandwillencouragemorecomputercodingclubsthroughoutnationalschools.

eGovernment for the 21st Century: Fine Gael willpublish an eGovernment strategy with the goal ofmoving Ireland into the Top 5 internationally withinadecade.Thisstrategywillemphasisean“Agile IT”approachtobothsystemdesignandimplementation,and partnerships with other countries who haverelevant experience in the delivery of effectiveeGovernment.

Wewillsetadeadlineof2017,bywhichallsignificantgovernment transactions with business will beavailable online. This is a significant step up in thereduction of the administrative burden, particularlyforsmallIrishbusinesses.

A21stCenturyResponsetoCyber-CrimeandCyberBullying: The increasing online presence of bothyoungandoldpeoplepresentsmanyopportunitiesalongwithmanychallenges.FineGaelhasintroducedincreased penalties targeting the use of moderncommunication technologies in the grooming ofchildrenandonlineexploitation.Wewillcontinuetoensurethatthemostrobustprotectionsareinplaceto fully protect children while online. We will alsodevelop and expand the capacity and skills of AnGarda Síochána; other investigatory and regulatorybodies; and prosecutors to tackle cyber-crime andharassmentsuchas introducingnewmodelsofcivilorderstodealwithdisputesoveronlineposting.



across the 2016-2021 period, with €437m allocatedtoDefence,undertheCapitalPlan,withinthat timeframe. The additional funds allocated will allow forexpenditure in equipment and infrastructure acrossallareasoftheDefenceForces:

•Army: The priority is to invest in armouredpersonnel carriers, armoured logistic vehicles, themodernisationofequipmentand refurbishmentofbarracks.

•Naval Service: The ship replacement programmewill continue and over the lifetime of the WhitePaper,FineGaelwillmove froman8- toa9-shipnavalflotilla,toprovideforamulti-rolevessel.Thiswill allow for continued humanitarian assistanceand will enhance Defence capability for maritimesecurityoperations.

•AirCorps:FineGaelwillensurethatexistingaircraftwill be replaced when necessary and invest inCasementAerodromeBaldonnel.

Maritime Security: Over the past decade, the Irishmaritimejurisdictionhaseffectivelydoubled.Thisseaarea encompasses a rich ecosystem and renewableenergy environment, with largely untappedhydrocarbonandmineralresources.Maritimesecurityin Irishwaters isasignificant focus for theDefenceForces.FineGaelwillsupporttheNavalServiceandAir Corps in carrying out fisheries protection, druginterdictionoperationsandprotectionofourmarineresources.

TheenvironmentinwhichtheDefenceForcesoperateis more complex now than ever before. Fine Gaelrecognises the challenges of the current securityenvironmentandhascommitted tobuildingon theinfrastructure and capability of the Defence ForcesacrossthedecadeaheadthroughaseriesofactionsoutlinedinthenewWhitePaperonDefence.FineGaelwillcontinuetobuildonourinternationalreputationforpeacekeepingandensureourDefenceForcesareequippedtomeetevolvingoperationalchallenges.

SecurityInfrastructure:FineGaelwillreviewIreland’sapproach to thecomplexandmultifaceteddefenceandsecurityinfrastructureneededtoaddressevolvingsecuritychallenges,workinginclosecooperationwithAn Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice,whohaveleadresponsibilityinthisarea.

Increasing Investment in the Defence Forces: FineGaeliscommittedtodeliveringinfullontheambitionsof the new White Paper for Defence, reinforced byreviewsevery3years.Thismeansensuringat least9,500 permanent Defence Forces personnel and afull-strengthreserve.FineGaelrecognisesthattherehas been a historic underinvestment in DefenceForces infrastructureand iscommittedtoprovidingthe investmentnecessary toequipourArmy,NavalServiceandAirCorpstomeetthecomplexchallengesofachangingsecurityenvironment.

EquippingtheDefenceForces:FineGaelwillprovidea significant boost in capital funding for Defence

In a complex and changing security environment, Defence is critical. We are committed to ensuring our citizens live in a safe and secure environment. Fine Gael is proud of the Defence Forces and the patriotism and professionalism that the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps demonstrate both at home and abroad.

7.Defence


DELIvERING ON NEW ThINKING Peace and Leadership Institute: Building on thehistoryoftheIrishStateandthereputationofIrelandas a world-renowned contributor to internationalpeacekeeping,FineGaelwilldevelopanewInstitutefor Peace Support and Leadership Training in theCurragh,startingin2016.ThePeaceandLeadershipInstitute will leverage Ireland’s unique internationalreputationandrelationshipwiththeUN.Itwilldevelopnew national and international partnerships withuniversities and other reputable interested partiesandinstitutions.

WomenintheDefenceForces:Recognisingtheverystrong contribution made by female personnel, wewillprioritisetheneedtoaddressthegapinfemaleparticipation in the Defence Forces. Fine Gael willincreasetheleveloffemaleparticipation,withthegoalofdoublingtherateofparticipationfromthecurrent6%to12%inthenext5years.WewillensurefutureUNpeacekeepingmissions incorporateanumberofgender-focusedmeasuresandtheworkofthePeaceandLeadershipInstituteprovidesanopportunityforthedevelopmentofexpertiseintheseareas.

WorkplaceCulture:FineGaeliscommittedtoensuringthat the Dignity Charter for the Defence Forces isupheld and all Defence Forces personnel enjoy asupportive workplace. Fine Gael will implement allof the recommendationsof theThirdReportof theIndependentMonitoringGroup(IMG).

Fine Gael will continue to work cooperatively withthe Defence Forces representative bodies, RACO,PDFORRA and RDFRA. We strongly support thedevelopment of a diversity and inclusion strategywithintheDefenceForces.FineGaelwillbuildontheDefenceForces’valuesandethos,whichcommitstoanenvironmentinwhichpeoplearevaluedandtalentisencouragedandenabledtodeveloptoitsmaximum.

Employment Support Scheme: Fine Gael believesthe Defence Forces have a significant contributionto make to individuals and to broader society.

Overseas Missions: Ireland is strongly committedto supporting conditions for a safe and secureenvironment, critical to a civil society. We stronglysupportarobustEUcontributiontoUNpeacekeepingandcrisismanagementandwillcontinuetosupportIreland’s contribution to a range of collaborativesecurity arrangements within the EU, the UN, theOSCEandbilaterallywithotherstates.

FineGaeliscommittedtoanincreaseinourDefenceForcespresence inmissionsabroadandthiswillbereflectedassoonas2016.Wearecommittedtothecontinuationofhumanitarianmissionsliketherecentoperation in the Mediterranean, which has receivedmuchpublicsupport.

Fine Gael will seek to maximise opportunities forcooperationbetweengovernmentdepartmentsandagenciesinthecontextofactiononUNDevelopmentGoals,withaparticularfocusonAfrica.

Supportingourveterans:FineGaelvaluesthepublicserviceandoutstandingcontributionmadebyformerservicemen and women to the State and will workwith veterans to deliver on the recommendationsoutlined in the White Paper. Fine Gael will ensureDefence Forces personnel receive practical supportand training when they leave the Defence Forcesforotheropportunities insociety.Wewill recognisethosewhohavemadesuchacontributiontotheStatethroughtheAnnualVeteran’sDayandparticipationofveteransincommemorativeevents.

Reserve Defence Forces (RDF): The RDF is asignificantelementoftheState’sdefencecapability.Fine Gael will ensure the strength, skills base andcontributionoftheRDFaremaximisedandwilltargetfullparticipationoftheRDFat4,000personnel.

FineGaelwillseekopportunitiestoleveragespecialistskillsetsthroughtheReserveinareassuchascyberand medicine. Fine Gael will also seek to developopportunities for overseas service for the ReserveinareaswherespecialistskillsaddvalueoraugmentpermanentDefenceForcescapabilities.



WewillseektodevelopsynergiesbetweentheDefenceForcesandthesporthorseindustry.Wewillalsoseektodevelopaninnovationnetworkthatleveragestherelationship between the Defence Forces, the sporthorseindustryandthehorseracingindustry.

Innovation: Fine Gael is very supportive of thepossible opportunities for innovation, technologyand enterprise links to the benefit of the DefenceForces and Irish enterprise, and will continue tosupporteffortstodeveloptheselinkstobuildonoureconomic development and capabilities within theDefenceForces.

We will seek to replicate the success of the IrishMaritimeandEnergyResourceCluster(IMERC)inthedevelopmentoftwofurtherInnovationPartnerships.ThefirstwillbecentredaroundtheDefenceForcesTraining Centre in the Curragh and will seek toleveragethenumeroustechnicalcorpsandareasofspecialisation in the Defence Forces, creating andenhancing innovative technologies that improveDefenceForcescapabilitieswhilealsostimulatingjobcreation.

The second cluster will develop an InnovationPartnershipatBaldonnelthatwillincludeaprivatelyfunded aeronautical museum and a leadingtechnologicalentrepreneurial innovationpartnershipwhichwill seek to leverage theAirCorps’ technicalcompetenceandcomplementIreland’sleadingroleintheaircraftandtechindustries.

Red Cross: Fine Gael has initiated new legislation,revoking existing Red Cross legislation, providingfortheState’scommitmentstotheRedCrossunderthe Geneva Conventions and copper-fastening theindependenceoftheSociety.Thiswillbeenactedasapriority.

Civil Defence: Fine Gael is very committed to theongoingsupportanddevelopmentofCivilDefence.WewillupdatelegislationgoverningtheCivilDefencearea and establish a coordinated inter-agencyguidanceteam,bringingtogetherPrincipalResponseAgencies involved indealingwithmajoremergencymanagementissues.

We will provide individuals who would otherwisestruggletobreakoutofacycleofdisadvantageanopportunity todiscovernewskillsand longer-termemployment capacity. We will introduce a pilotemploymentsupportschemein2016,providing30-40 participants with skills and training identifiablewiththeDefenceForces.

ArmyRangerWing:FineGaelwillincreasethecapacityof theArmyRangerWingandof special operationforcestoassistinmeetingemergingchallengesinallenvironments,includingland,air,maritimeandcyber.

AeromedicalSupport:Recognisingthecontributionof the Emergency Aeromedical Support Service(EAS)inAthlonetoruralareas,FineGaelhasplacedtheEASonapermanentfootingandiscommittedtoasustainablelong-termservicearrangementintothefuture.

AidtotheCivilPower(ATCP):TheDefenceForcesprovidevaluableassistancetootherarmsoftheStateinresponsetonationalemergenciesandday-to-dayoperations,mostrecentlyinresponsetowidespreadflooding. Fine Gael will support the continuedassistance of Army, Air Corps and Naval Servicepersonnel to An Garda Síochána in ATCP dutiesand will facilitate the most appropriate governancestructuresbetweenall state andother stakeholderswithaviewtoensuringthemosteffectivedeliveryofservice.

Commemorating Our Past: Fine Gael stronglysupportstheDefenceForces’participationinannualstate commemorative ceremonies and the DefenceForceswillplayasignificantroleinmanyoftheeventsbeing organised to commemorate the Decade ofCentenaries 2012-2022, including the valuable workon the Military Service Pensions Collection. We willawarda1916centenarymedaltoallmembersofthePermanentDefenceForceswhoareinservicein2016.

Army Equitation: Since its foundation in 1926, theArmyEquitationSchoolhaspromotedtheIrishsporthorse through international competitions on Irish-bredhorses.WewillprioritiseinvestmentintheArmyEquitationSchool’sfacilityin2016inrecognitionofthecontributionitmakestotheIrishsporthorsesector.


both more attractive to prospective employers andemployees.

Prepare School Leavers: Fine Gael wants to equipschool leavers with the skills required to move intofurthereducation,trainingoremployment,iftheysochoose.Thismeansearlierinterventionandplanning,inordertowidenjobopportunities.Wewillworkwithdisabilityandeducationstakeholderstoensurethatadequateandearlypost-primarytransitionplanningtakes place for all school leavers. Ensuring equalityofopportunityinaccessingfurthereducationisalsocrucial.

Community Employment (CE) Schemes: Fine Gaelwill continue to support Community Employmentthroughout the country and will review the referralproceduretoensurethatanincreasedproportionofplacesaretakenupbythosewithadisability.

TAILORING SERvICES TO INDIvIDuAL NEEDSPersonalised Budgets: Fine Gael is committed toempowering people with disabilities through theintroductionofpersonalisedbudgets.Thesebudgetswillprovidemorecontrolandchoiceovertherangeofservicesanindividualneeds,therebyofferinggreaterindependenceandtransparency.FineGaelwillsetout

Inasecondterm,wewilldomoretoempowerandimprovethelivesofpeoplewithdisabilities.OurLongTermEconomicPlanwillhelpprovideforthis,whilealsofreeingupresourcesforenhancedandtargetedpublicservices.

MAKING WORK pAy Reducing Barriers to Work: Fine Gael will facilitatepeoplewithdisabilitiesinfindingaclearpathwayintoemployment, training and education, by expandingtheroleofIntreooffices.Wewillalsoaddressconcernssurrounding the loss of secondary benefits, so thatworkalwayspaysmorethanwelfare.

Working with Intreo, Fine Gael will support peoplewith disabilities, and allow them to transition intoemployment, by ensuring a seamless return oftheir entitlements should a particular employmentopportunityproveunsuitable.

Inform and Engage Employers: We will provideprospective employers and employer organisationswithinformationonthesupportsavailabletohireandretainpeoplewithdisabilities.

SupportedEmployment:Wewillcontinuetosupportand expand supported employment opportunitiesandwillworkwithstakeholdersonoptionstomake

8.DisabilityFine Gael will continue to work to improve equality of opportunity and quality of life for people with disabilities and ensure that resources are allocated effectively and transparently. Despite the economic crisis faced by the country in recent years, Fine Gael has maintained disability spending and sought to progress critical policy changes that will benefit people with disabilities.



Pension by €20 per week, by 2021 (a €4 increaseeveryyear).

Mobility Allowance: Fine Gael will introduce a newmobility scheme to assist those with a disability inmeetingtheirincreasedmobilitycosts.

uN Convention: Fine Gael is committed to theratification of the UN Convention on the Rightsof Persons with Disabilities, and has published aroadmap setting out the steps to ratification. Weremaincommittedtodeliveringonthis.

Disability Inclusion Strategy: We will mandategovernmentdepartmentsandstatebodies,includinglocal authorities and the HSE, to work together toensurepeoplewithdisabilitiesarefullysupportedintheirdailylives.ThisStrategywillensurethatpeoplewithdisabilitiesaretreatedasequalcitizens,providedwith independence to live how they choose andenabledtoreachtheirfullpotential.

CongregatedSettings:FineGael iscommitted toacontinuation of the policy of moving people withdisabilities out of congregated settings to moreappropriatesmallerunitsandhomesinthecommunity.Currently 2,725 people live in congregated settingsandourobjectiveistoreducethisfigurebyatleastone-thirdby2021.

CARERSFamilycarersarethebackboneofcareprovision inthiscountry.Mostofuswillbecarers–orcaredfor–atsomepointinourlives.Anditisthefamilycarerwho will continue to play a key role in supportingfamilymemberstoliveindependentlives.

National Carers’ Strategy: Fine Gael published thefirsteverNationalCarers’Strategyandiscommittedtoimplementingitinfull.

IncomeSupportforCarers:WewillincreaseCarer’sAllowance and Carer’s Benefit by at least €20 perweekby2021(a€4increaseeveryyear).

CarePlans:Wewillensurethereisgreaterinvolvementoffamilycarersinthepreparationofcareplansandprovision of care, together with more accessibletrainingandrespitetofacilitatefullsupport.

animplementationplanandtimeframefortherolloutofpersonalisedbudgetswithin12months.Thiswillbedoneinconsultationwithdisabilitystakeholders.

Brokerage Option: As part of the move toindividualisedbudgets,FineGaelwillalsointroduceasystemofsupportbrokerstoassistclientswiththeirbudgetstoworkoutthebestwaytomeettheirsocialcareneeds,shouldtheysowish.Thesebrokersmayactasasupportnetworkandcouldbeemployeesorvolunteersofcommunityorganisations.

Pre-SchoolyearSupports:FineGaelintroducedanewschemetoensureaccesstotheEarlyChildhoodCareandEducationprogrammesforyoungchildrenwithdisabilities.Wewillcontinuetoworkwithstakeholdersonthefurtherdevelopmentofthisinitiative.

SpecialEducationalNeeds:Forayoungchild,parentand teacher, it is crucial that early detection andinterventiontakesplacesothateachchildcanreachtheir fullpotential.Over€1.4bn isspentannuallyonspecial education, yet families still face anxiety inaccessing services. We will examine the adequacyofcurrentfundingprovision,withaviewtoensuringchildren get the earliest and best support possible.Fine Gael increased the number of Special NeedsAssistants from10,575to 12,040.Wealso increasedthenumberofresourceteachersfrom5,175to7,452in2016.Wewillcontinuetodoso.Wewillconsultwithstakeholders to see how best to progress sectionsof the EPSEN Act that were introduced on a non-statutorybasis.

HousingAdaptationScheme:Keepingpeopleintheirownhomesastheygrowolderoriftheyhaveadisabilityisagoalweaspireto.TheHousingAdaptationgrantsprovidedtolocalauthoritiesareessentialtothisaim.Budget2016increasedthisschemeby10%to€55m,which will see over 8,500 households benefit fromthescheme.Wewillincreasethisschemebyafurther20%to€66mby2021.

INDEpENDENCE AND INCOME SuppORTIncomeSupport:WewillincreasetheIllnessBenefit,Invalidity Pension, Disability Benefit and Allowance,Carer’s Benefit and Allowance, and Blind Person’s


consolidatedSaleofAlcoholBilltoupdateourliquorlicensingsystem.

AsGardanumberscontinuetoincreasewewillensurefurther resources are assigned to the new nationalDrugsandOrganisedCrimeBureauandtostrengthenthe localdrugunits. This responsewillbecoupledwith ongoing support for outreach programmeswhichworkwithvulnerableandat-riskindividualsinaddressingcomplicatedaddictionissues.

CommunityJusticeIntervention:WewillintroduceanewCommunityJusticeInterventionsystemtodealwithlow-leveloffenderstodivertthemfromthecourtsystem. This approach will more effectively tacklereoffendingthroughtheuseofcommunitysanctionsand appropriate misuse services, treatments andinterventions.

Review Addiction Services: We will commence areviewofaddictiontreatmentservicesforoffenderswithin prisons to evaluate services for prisonerswithdrugandalcoholproblemsandimplementanyrecommendationsarisingfromthereview.

pubLIC hEALTh (ALCOhOL) bILLIrelandhasoneofthehighestconsumptionratesofalcohol, contributing to awide rangeof health and

Fine Gael will finalise an updated National DrugsStrategy,fullimplementationofwhichwillbevitalinachievingthesegoalsandmeetingthechallengesoftacklingtheharmcausedtoindividuals,familiesandcommunities.InadditionFineGaelwill:

DisrupttheSupplyofDrugs: Inthe last3yearsAnGardaSíochánatogetherwithcustomsofficialshavemadeseizuresofcontrolleddrugswithanestimatedstreet value in excess of €700m, including cocaine,heroin, herbal cannabis, cannabis resin and ecstasy.FineGaelwillputinplacefurtherlawsandresourcesto disrupt the supply of illegal drugs, supportingthe Gardaí and the Revenue Commissioners in theeffective detection, interception and seizure ofcontrolleddrugs.

Safeguard urban Centres and the Night-TimeEconomy: We will ensure effective resourcing ofAnGardaSíochánaintargetingthesaleandsupplyof illicit drugs on our streets. We will support thestrategic deployment of highly visible uniformedGardaí,andwhereappropriateundercoverGardaí,toreduce instances of anti-social behaviour and druguse,makingourstreetssaferforall.

WewillsupportGardaítoworkwithlocalbusinesses,particularlythoseinvolvedinthenight-timeeconomy,to enhance public order policing in our towns andcity centres, and will enact a comprehensive and

9.Drugs and Alcohol Tackling the problem of drug and alcohol related crime and anti-social behaviour in our communities requires a comprehensive approach incorporating policing, treatment and demand reduction. It is only through a combination of these measures that we can address the underlying causes of this behaviour, reduce harm to the individual and better safeguard our communities.



socialharms,andplacingaconsiderableburdenonfrontlineresources.

FineGaelwillprioritiseenactmentofthePublicHealth(Alcohol) Bill in seeking to reduce average alcoholconsumptionfrom11 litresperannumto9.1 litresofpurealcoholperannumby2020.Thislegislationisthemostfar-reachingproposedbyanygovernment.Itwilltargetaffordability,availabilityandattractivenessand ensure alcohol is addressed as a public healthmeasure.

Minimum unit Pricing: Fine Gael will introduceminimumunitpricing,makingitanoffencetoselloradvertisealcoholatapricebelowasetminimum;wewillreviewtheminimumpriceatsetintervals.

Health Labelling: We will introduce labellingrequirements for alcohol products and notices inlicensed premises providing consumers with healthinformationandadvice.

AdvertisingofAlcohol:Wewillrequireadvertisementsforalcoholproductstoincorporatehealthwarnings,includinginpregnancy,aswellasprovidingdetailsonaccessingpublichealthadvice.

Sponsorship:Wewillprohibitalcoholsponsorshipatevents which are organised for children, and whichinvolvedrivingorracingcars.

RegulationofAlcoholMarketingtoChildren:Youngpeopleareparticularlyvulnerable toalcohol-relatedharmandarebecomingincreasinglyexposedtoonlinealcoholadvertising.Wewillstrengthenregulationofonlinealcoholadvertisingtochildren,limitingexposureat this impressionableage.Wewill introduceabanonadvertisingnearschools,playgroundsandpublictransportandrequirea9pmbroadcastingwatershedforalcoholadverts.


Bill2015,withaspecial6.25%rateoftaxonincomefrom qualifying patents and other innovations, toencouragebothIrishandmulti-nationalcompaniestodeveloptheirknowledge-basedcapitalinIreland.

Employers’ PRSI: To mitigate the impact on jobsandsmallemployersof further, sensible rises in theminimumwageto€10.50perhour,wewillcutthelower8.5%rateofEmployers’PRSIto6.5%andincreasethelowerratethresholdto€426perweek(from€376).We will still be guided by the recommendations oftheLowPayCommissiononthephasinginoftheseminimumwagechangesduringatermofoffice.

Small Business Investment Trusts: The introductionofRealEstateInvestmentTrustshasproventobeasuccessful vehicle for investment in the commercialandresidentialpropertymarket.Wewillexploretherole that Small Business Investment Trusts couldplayinIreland.Suchavehiclecouldbeanalternativesource of funding for Irish SMEs and provide smallinvestorswiththeopportunitytoinvestinIrishSMEs.

CapitalGainsTaxReliefforStart-upCompanies:WewillintroduceanewCapitalGainsTaxRelief(Start-UpRelief)tosupportandencouragestart-upsinIreland.

Long Term Economic Plan: Fine Gael’s Long TermEconomicPlanwillkeeptherecoverygoing,endthecycleofboomandbustanddeliversteadyeconomicgrowthfortheyearsahead.Ourplanisbasedonthreesteps:(1)moreandbetterjobs;(2)makingworkpay;and(3)investinginbetterservices.

MORE AND bETTER JObS ThROuGh EFFECTIvE TAx pOLICyFine Gael will continue to use tax policy to add afurther200,000jobstotheeconomyandtobringtheunemploymentratedownbelow6%by2020.

CorporationTax:FineGaeldefendedourcorporationtax regime throughout the financial crisis and wearecommittedtomaintainingthe12.5%rateintothefuture.Wewillcontinuetoworkwithourinternationalpartners in tackling aggressive international taxplanningthroughtheOECD’sBaseErosionandProfitShifting(BEPS)initiative.

knowledge Development Box: Fine Gael willclosely monitor the introduction of the KnowledgeDevelopment Box (KDB), as set down in Finance

10.Economy, public Finances and Taxation

Fine Gael was elected to government in 2011 to fix our public finances and get our country working again. Since then we have added 135,000 jobs and cut the deficit from €18bn in 2010 to €4bn in 2015. We are at a crucial point in the economic recovery, and to keep it going requires continued vigilance in the management of the economy and the public finances – we have seen how populist parties in other countries have undone all the good work, destroying confidence and stability.



Renovation Incentive we will continue to introducemeasures that reward legitimate and tax-compliantbusinesses,suchas:

•AdditionalresourcesfortheRevenueCommissionerstoincreasetheirtaxenforcementefforts,particularlyintheareaoftobaccoandfuelsmuggling

•More investment in our systems to enable datasharing across government departments andagenciesandbetweentheRevenueCommissionersandRevenueauthoritiesinotherjurisdictions

MAKING WORK pAy ThROuGh TAx REFORMRewarding Hard Work: Since the introduction ofthe Universal Social Charge (USC) by Fianna Fáil,Ireland’spersonal tax systemhasdiscouragedworkandeffortandisabarriertotheeconomicrecovery.AstheUKandothercountriesseektomatchIreland’scorporationtaxrate,FineGael’staxpriorityistokeeptherecoverygoingbyreducingmarginaltaxratesonincome.

AbolishingtheuSC:Buildingontheprogressmadein our last two budgets, Fine Gael will completetheabolitionoftheUSCby2021,aspartofawiderincome tax reformplan thatbroadens the taxbaseandlimitsthebenefitsforthehighestearners.Wewillreduce themain5.5% rateofUSCby 1% inBudget2017,amongothermeasures.

Attracting 70,000 Emigrants Home: As well asencouraging greater domestic labour marketparticipation and entrepreneurship, we believe thatUSCabolition,asan integralpartofourLongTermEconomic Plan, will encourage at least 70,000emigrants to return home, by increasing Ireland’sattractionasadynamichubforyoungtalent.

LevyonHigherEarners:WewillkeepIreland’sincometaxsystemasamongthemostprogressiveintheEU.Aspartofourbroadreformofthetaxsystem,whichincludestheabolitionoftheUSC,wewillintroducealevyof5%onindividualincomesover€100,000.Thelevywillapplytoindividualincomesabove€100,000(onlyontheexcessover€100,000).

Gainsarisingonchargeablebusinessassetsacquiredfrom2017andheldfor5yearswillbechargedatarateof10%ondisposal,uptoamaximumliabilityof€10m.

Family Businesses: Fine Gael will instruct theDepartmentofFinancetoreview,inadvanceofBudget2017,thetaxbarrierstothelong-termgrowthofIrish-ownedfamilybusinesses,withparticularreferencetothecompetitivenessoftheIrishtaxregimewiththatoftheUKandotheradvancedeconomies.

Microbreweries: The expansion of microbreweries,along with Ireland’s resurgent whiskey industry, isproviding very positive spillovers to the agriculturalsector and creating local jobs. Fine Gael increasedthe annual excise relief production ceiling formicrobreweriesandwewillcontinuetosupportthissectorinthecomingyears.

FuelLaunderingandtheShadowEconomy:FineGaelwillactivelysupportthenewJointAgencyTaskforce,established under the new Stormont Agreement,to bolster North-South inter-agency cooperationin tackling cross-border crime. We will support theRevenue Commissioners’ multi-faceted approachto combatting the shadow economy and initiate apublic awareness campaign, encouraging peopleto comply and report, referencing Revenue’s newShadow Economy webpage, where one can reportsuchactivity.

Tax Collection and Enforcement: The RevenueCommissioners,intheirStatementofStrategy2015-2017, prioritise the identification and confrontationof non-compliance. In 2015, audit and complianceinterventions yielded €642.5m in tax, interest andpenalties.WewillincreasesupportandinvestmentintheRevenueCommissionerstosupporttheminthispriority,withaviewtoimprovingtaxenforcementbyanadditional€50mperyear(0.1%ofthetaxyield).This will be net of the cost of an additional 200RevenueCommissionersenforcementstaff.

Thebiggestlosersfromtaxevasionarethelegitimatebusinesses that have to compete with illegitimatebusinessfornewcustomers,newbusinessandskilledemployees.Buildingupon the successof theHome


equivalent to approximately one week’s wages forthoseontheaverageindustrialwage.

Home Carer’s Credit: Fine Gael’s tax reforms willsupportone-incomefamiliescaringforachildorotherdependentperson.WewillincreasetheHomeCarer’sCreditto€1,650,whilealsoincreasingto€10,500theincomeexemptionforthehomecarer.

An Affordable Local Property Tax (LPT): We willretain theLPTas a superior alternative to taxesonincomesandjobsandasadriveroflocalgovernmentaccountability for service delivery. To reflect thestrongrecoveryinhousepricessincetheintroductionoftheLPT,andtobetteraligntherevaluationstothelocal government electoral cycle, we have deferredthe next revaluation of house prices to 2019. Wewill increaselocalauthorityfreedomtosetthelocalrates. We will freeze equalisation contributions tothe Local Government Fund at their current levels,allowingallcouncilstoretain100%ofanyadditionalLPT receipts following the revaluation. In line withtherecommendationsoftheThornillReportwewillincreasethethresholdsforthedeferralofLPTforlow-incomeandmortgage-distressedhomeowners.

TaxTransparency:Topromotepublicawarenessandtransparencyinthetaxsystemwewillsendalltaxpayersa breakdown of how their annual contribution hasbeenproportionallyspentbyGovernment.

Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT): We will increasethe Group A tax-free thresholds (including all giftsand inheritances from parents to their children) to€500,000,from€280,000atpresent.Wewillensurethatparentscancontinuetosupport–tax-free–theirchildrenthrougheducation.

SOuND pubLIC FINANCES AND SENSIbLE INvESTMENTS IN pubLIC SERvICES AND INFRASTRuCTuRESteady Growth, Not Boom and Bust: Our Plan willtarget steady growth in 2016-21 – around 3.5% peryearonaverage–notboomandbust.Steadygrowthofthisorderwillgenerate200,000additionaljobsby2020,replacingallthejobslostduringtherecession

keepingIreland’sTaxSystemFair:Inadditiontotheintroductionofthe5%levyonHigherEarners,wewillalso remove thePAYEandnewEarned IncomeTaxCredit from those earning over €100,000, taperedfrom€70,000.

keeping the Tax System Broad and Making WorkPay through PRSI Reform: Our tax reforms areaimedatreducingtaxratesforeveryworker,withoutremovinganybodyfromthetaxsystem.AswephaseouttheUSC,wewillreducetheentrypointofPRSIto€13,000(thecurrententrypointintotheUSC).WhencombinedwiththeweeklyPRSIallowanceintroducedfor lower-income employees this January, the neteffectwillbeaboosttotake-homepayforallworkers,whileensuringthateverybodyearningabove€13,000continuestomakesomecontribution.

Inaddition,theadvantageofpayingPRSIcomparedwiththeUSCisthatpayingPRSIgeneratesbenefitsforthoseworkingpeoplewhoputin.Thisbroadeningof the PRSI base will help fund new benefits forworkingfamilies,suchas:

•€27 and €12 per week increases in Job Seekers’Benefitforthefirst3and6monthsrespectively

•TherestorationoftheDentalTreatmentBenefit

•A€25perweekincreaseintheContributoryStatePensionby2021

•The introduction of 2 weeks’ paternity leave fromSeptember 2016 and an additional 8 weeks’ paidleaveforparentsofinfants(lessthan1year)by2020.

A Tax System to Support Entrepreneurs and theSelf-Employed:Wewill increasetheEarnedIncomeTaxCreditto€1,650fortheself-employed,tomatchthePAYEcredit,by2018.Togetherwiththeabolitionof theUSC, thiswill end tax inequality for the self-employed.

IncentiveforRewardingkeyEmployeesinSMEs:WewillexplorethemechanismsthroughwhichSMEscanreward key employees with share options in a tax-efficientmanner.

SmallBenefitsExemption:WewillincreasetheSmallBenefits Exemption from €500 to €650, which is



discretionarytaxchanges)belowthepotentialgrowthrateoftheeconomyuntiltheunderlyinggovernmentdeficit is eliminated, and to, at most, the potentialgrowthrateoftheeconomythereafter.Thiswillensurethat we never again repeat Fianna Fáil’s mistake ofusing temporary periods of strong growth to makerecklessspendingcommitmentsthatthenhavetobereversed,whileensuringthereisadequateresourcesto deliver tax reform and sensible improvements inkeyservices,notablyhealth,policing,educationandchildcare.ByhonouringtheExpenditureRule,wewilldeliverontheobligationindomesticandEUlawtoeliminatethe“structuraldeficit”inourpublicfinancesby2018.

ContingencyandStabilityReserve:Wewillalsosetupa“rainydayfund”tocopewithunexpectedevents.OurLongTermEconomicPlanwillleave€2.5bnoftheavailable fiscal space unallocated as a Contingencyand Stability Reserve. This reserve will act as abuffer against unexpected shocks, both domesticand international, and will be allocated accordingtoasetofconditionstobesetoutbyGovernmentin Budget 2017, with the advice of the Irish FiscalAdvisory Council. The money will either be saved(usedforadditionaldebtreduction)orinjectedintotheeconomy,inlinewiththeneedsofeconomicandfiscalstability.

IndependenceoftheCentralBank:WewillprotecttheindependenceoftheCentralBankasaguardianoffinancialstability.Wesupporttheintroductionoftherecentlyannounced“CountercyclicalCapitalBuffers”asawaytoensurethatneveragainisrunawaycreditgrowthallowedtodestroyourfinancialstabilityandeconomicprosperity.

with new jobs and ensuring that everybody whowantsajobwillbeabletogetone.

EliminatingtheDeficit:Steadygrowthofthisnaturewill also eliminate the remaining deficit and bringgovernmentdebtdowntobelowaverageEuropeanlevelswithoutanynew taxesorcharges.To reducedebt levels and protect the economy from externaland domestic risks, our Long Term Economic Plantargetstheeliminationofnewgovernmentborrowingby2018,andkeepingthepublicfinances inbalancethereafter.

€4BillionFutureJobs InvestmentFund: TomatchthescaleofambitioninourLongTermEconomicPlantocreateanadditional200,000sustainablejobsby2020, and taking full advantage of the favourabletreatmentofcapitalinvestmentunderthefiscalrules,FineGaelwilluse€1bnof thefiscalspaceavailableby 2021 to fund an additional €4bn in total capitalinvestmentoverthe5-yearperiod2017-21.Thefundswillbering-fencedforanewFutureJobsInvestmentFundtofuture-prooftheeconomyandourjobsplanagainstrisingglobalrisksandchallenges.

SellingBankAssets:Wearecommittedtodisposingof the State’s investments in the banking sectorwhenmarketconditionsareright,andtorecoveringall the taxpayers’ money invested by the currentGovernment. In order to help undo the damage toIreland’spublicfinancesfromthebankingcrisisandtoprovideabufferagainstfuturerisks,allproceedsfromthedisposalofbankassetswillbeusedtopaydowngovernmentdebt.

Expenditure Rule: At the heart of our Long TermEconomic Plan is the Expenditure Rule, which willcap annual government spending growth (net of


September. In addition, we will fund an additional2,392teachingpostsby2021to–attheveryleast–maintainthepupil-teacherratio inallother levelsoftheprimaryandsecondaryschools.

SchoolBuildings:Wearecommittedtodeliveringanextensiveschoolcapital investmentprogramme.Wehavealreadycommitted€2.8bntodeliver310majorextensions/refurbishments,62,000additionalschoolplacesandeliminatetheuseofprefabsby2021.

Continuous Professional Development (CPD) forTeachers:Wewillinvestanadditional€10mby2021(bringingthetotalspendto€35mperyear)tofundadditional CPD provision for teachers, includingmandatory modules in Maths, Special Needs, IrishLanguage, and ICT. Initial teacher training in theseareaswillbestrengthened.

More Support for Schools with General OperatingCosts:FineGaelwillprovideanadditional€50m infunding forprimaryandsecondaryschoolsby2021for general operating (capitation) costs, conditionalonschoolsmakingtheir facilitiesavailable forafter-schoolcarewheresufficientdemandexists.

IntroduceIn-SchoolSpeechandLanguageTherapyService:FineGaelwill invest€10mby2021 to fund217additionaltherapistsforanewmodelofIn-SchoolSpeechandLanguageTherapy,involvingcollaborationbetweenparents,schoolsandprimarycareservicesthathasbeenproventobeeffectiveinternationally.

We have a well-trained and committed teachingprofession and high and rising rates of schoolcompletion and participation in higher education.Andyet,toomanyofourchildrenstillfallthroughthecracks,andareindangerofbeingleftbehindinafast-changingworld.TheLiteracyandNumeracyStrategyalongwiththeProjectMathscoursewillplayaroleinimprovingoutcomes,butwewanttogofurther,andto chart a course for Ireland’s education system tobecome“bestinclass”.

FineGaelhasa4-pointplantoinvestinareformedandwell-managededucationsystemthatmakessurethattheeconomicrecoveryleavesnochildbehind.

1. WE WILL INvEST IN SChOOLS, EDuCATION AND TEAChERS.Earlychildhoodinterventionshavethegreatestimpactonlong-termeducationaloutcomes.Bykeepingtherecoverygoing,wewillcreatetheresourcesneededtoinvestwiselyinourteachersandeducationsystem.

ReducethePupil-TeacherRatioforJuniorandSeniorInfants:FineGaelwillfund,by2021,anadditional832teaching posts and reduce the pupil-teacher ratioforjuniorandseniorinfantsfrom28:1to18:1,phasedin from September 2017. Smaller classes have thegreatestbeneficialimpactonyoungerpupils.Budget2016provided for2,260 teachers, commencing this

11.Education and SkillsEducation is the key to giving every child an equal opportunity in life and a key driver of our economic recovery. Fine Gael’s ambition is that no child is left behind in economic recovery and that we use the benefits of a strong economy to become a leader across all PISA rankings and in the provision of quality higher education and skills. We have the capacity to achieve this by 2022.



education is the key to giving every child an equal opportunity in life and a key driver of our economic recovery. fine gael’s ambition is that no child is left behind in economic recovery.


•ComputerScience:Wewillrolloutapilotschemeofcomputerscienceinoursecondaryschoolstobuildonexistingskillsnotonlyforcodingbutalsotolaythe foundations for skills in computerarchitectureandthebusinessapplicationofIT.

•Physical Education: We support the introductionofmorePEinprimaryschoolsanditsintroductionas aLeavingCert subject.Wewill lookat variousways in which organisations with experience inchildren’ssportsandfitnessmightprovideschoolswithsupport.

ePortfolios:Inpartnershipwithindustry,wewillpilotacloud-basedePortfoliosystematprimarylevelwhichwill act as a storage and private reference systemthatallowspupils,alongwiththeirparents, totracktheirownacademicachievements.Asimilarinitiativeusedby85%ofschools inEstoniaallowsforbettercommunication and involvement between parentsandteachers.

ExtendMandatorySchoolingAge:Wewill increasemandatoryschoolingtoage17.

2. WE WILL STRENGThEN LOCAL DECISION MAKING, LEADERShIp, INNOvATION AND ACCOuNTAbILITy. School principals, teachers and parents are inthe best position to drive reforms that improveeducational outcomes and to prioritise resources.Central Government already micro manages toomanydecisionsinourschools,fromcurriculumdesignandtimetablingtominorcapitalworks.OurPlanwillgivemoredecision-makingpower,responsibilityandflexibilitytoschoolsandtheircommunities.

Local Decision Making: We will extend, until May2016,theperiodofconsultationwithparents,schoolsand other stakeholders on the “Advancing SchoolAutonomyintheIrishSchoolSystem”researchpaperpublishedbytheDepartmentofEducationandSkillsin December 2015. On foot of this consultation, wewill transform the School Admissions Bill agreedby the current Government, but not yet passed bythe Oireachtas, into a new School Admissions andExcellenceBill.

ThisBill, alongsidea revisedadmissions framework,willgivenewfreedomstoschoolsonstaffdeployment,performance management, curriculum design andother matters. As part of this consultation, we will

Expand the National Educational PsychologicalService (NEPS): We will invest an additional €3mtoincreasethenumberofNEPSpsychologistsfrom167to209sothattheServicecanprovideenhancedearlyinterventionstrategiesforstaffandpupils,andofferimmediatesupporttoschoolsincasesofcriticalincidents.

SpecialEducationalNeeds:Forayoungchild,parentand teacher, it is crucial that early detection andinterventiontakesplacesothateachchildcanreachtheir fullpotential.Over€1.4bn isspentannuallyonspecial education, yet families still face anxiety inaccessing services. We will examine the adequacyofcurrentfundingprovision,withaviewtoensuringchildren get the earliest and best support possible.Fine Gael increased the number of Special NeedsAssistants from10,575to 12,040.Wealso increasedthenumberofresourceteachersfrom5,175to7,452in2016.Wewillcontinuetodoso.Wewillconsultwithstakeholders to see how best to progress sectionsof the EPSEN Act that were introduced on a non-statutorybasis.

ActionPlanforEducationalInclusion:WewillpublishanewupdatedActionPlanforEducationalInclusion,within12months,aimedatnarrowingthegapbetweenDEISandnonDEISschools,whilealsoexamininghowstudentsoutsideofDEIScanbesupported.Wewillreform the funding models to reward schools thatsucceedinimprovingoutcomes.

Curriculum Modernisation: We will mandate theNational Council for Curriculum and Assessment topubliclyconsultonhowschoolscouldintroducenewsubjectchoices.Thisincludes:

•LiteracyandNumeracy:Akeyprioritysince2011,wehaveensuredthatMathsand literacyperformancehaveimproved.WemustdrivethisfurtherandalsolookatnewapproachestoimproveourPISAresults,includingexploringgame-basedlearningandSTEMopportunities.

•MentalHealthandWell-being:Anincreasingconcernin schools, we need to promote awareness andpreventionratherthansimplyreactingtoincidents.Consultation on how best to teach resilience andcopingmechanismsforpupilsmusttakeplace.

•Entrepreneurial Education: We will open upopportunitiesforindustryandlocalleaderstosharetheir skills and experience at primary and postprimarylevel.



More School Accountability for Performance: Withmoreautonomywillcomemoreschoolaccountability,tobothparentsandtaxpayers.Parentshavearightto information about their children’s educationalperformance. Fine Gael will, within 12 months,completeareviewofoptionsforstandardisedtestinginourschools,withaviewtoimplementingasinglemodelby2018,aimedatdeliveringclearperformanceinformationforteachers,parentsandstudents.

Intheinterim,wewillrequireschoolstopublishannualreports, taking into account test results, facilities,extra-curricularactivities, ICT resources, andspecialeducationresources.Schools,togetherwithparents,willset targetsagainstwhichtheywillbereviewed.Self-evaluationwillbestrengthenedandwillbe thebasisonwhichschoolsare inspected.FineGaelwillalsomakeavailable–attherequestofschoolparentsandpatrons– “SchoolSupportTeams”with specialpowerstoturnaroundfailingschools.

MoreEffectiveComplaintsProcedures forParents:Real accountability for performance also requires acredible complaints procedure for parents, withina stronger regulatory framework for teaching. Wewillcommence, the“Fitness toTeach”provisionsofthe Teaching Council Act and – a decade after itsenactment–completeareviewoftheTeachingCouncilActwithaviewtostrengtheningthe independenceandeffectivenessoftheTeachingCouncil.

3. WE WILL IMpROvE pARENTAL ChOICE AND SChOOL DIvERSITy. Uniformity is the enemy of innovation, change andongoing improvement. Resources go further whenusers of public services choose and shape theirdelivery, and are well informed about quality. FineGael supports real parental choice within a morediversesystemofschoolpatronage.

MoreMulti-DenominationalandNon-DenominationalSchools: Fine Gael will strengthen parental choiceand diversity in our schools system, reflecting theneed in modern Ireland for new forms of multi-denominational and non-denominational education.AroadmaphasbeenagreedforaphasedtransferofCatholicschoolstonewpatrons,wherethesupportof communities exists. Fine Gael will work with allstakeholderstofacilitatethisprocess.Since2011,49newmulti-denominationalprimaryandpostprimary

examinethestructureofboardsofmanagement,witha view to ensuring accountability and transparencyas well as support mechanisms for these voluntaryboards and parents. The role and power of anOmbudsmanforEducation,towhomaparentcouldcomplainandappealonfootofadecisionbyaboardofmanagement,willbeexaminedbytheOireachtasCommitteetoensureitsconsistencywiththeneedtoensurebetterlocaldecisionmakingandaccountabilitytoparents.

Local Education Clusters: Fine Gael will incentivisevoluntaryschoolparticipationinnew“LocalEducationClusters”thatencourageschoolstoimprovestudentoutcomes by sharing best practice and schoolimprovementexperiences,fostercollaborativeinandout-of-hours initiatives, staff peer mentoring andleadership,andthatallowforcostreductionsthrougheconomiesofscale.

SchoolsExcellenceFund:Wewillestablishanew€50mSchoolsExcellenceFund,whichrewardscollaborativeapproaches driven by schools and by parentsthemselves, aimed at improving school outcomesthrough the teaching of subjects such as Maths,ScienceandTechnology, key life skillsprogrammes,andpupilretentioninitiatives.Applicationsthatseektotackleeducationaldisadvantagewillbeprioritised.Outsidebodies,suchasbusinessandhighereducationinstitutions,maycollaboratewithsecondlevelschoolsaspartofthisinitiative.

School Leadership: School principals will have thesupportofFineGaeltointroducereformsthatdriveup educational standards. Budget 2016 increasedthe number of release days provided to teachingprincipals. Teaching principals within EducationClusterswillberesourcedtospendonedayperweekfocusingonimprovingschooloutcomes.Wewillalsoestablish a pool of experts (educators, employers,accountants, business leaders, IT specialists etc.) toassistschoolinitiativesthatdrivebetteroutcomesinschools.Newlyappointedschoolprincipalswilltakea preparation course in advance of taking up theirrole,andwillbeexpectedtotakeregularleadershipcoursesunderCPD.

FinancialCertainty:Wewillsetoutcapitationratestoschoolsonarolling3-yearbasisallowingforforwardplanning.Schoolmanagementwillhavethedecision-making power to allocate these resources as theydeemappropriate,includingtopostsofresponsibility.


the private sector and address identified nationalchallengesandskillsshortages.

OnlineHigherEducation:Onlinelearningcanopenuphighereducationopportunitiestomorestudentsandreducecosts.FineGaelwillcommenceanextensiveconsultation exercise to consider how this can beaccomplishedinawaywhichdoesnotcompromisestandards.

“Earned Autonomy” for universities: We will giveuniversitiesnewfreedoms–withinstrictbudgetsandnewaccountabilitysystems–tosettheirownstaffingneeds, hire the best lecturers, automate routineprocessesandadaptworkpracticestolocalstaffandstudentneeds.TheGovernmentwill,within6months,publish a substantially revised Universities Bill thatwill free from Central Government human resourcecontrols those universities that demonstrate asustainedcommitmenttocostefficiency,performanceaccountabilityandpaytransparency.

FlexibleLearning:Somethirdlevelinstitutionsdonotofferpart-timecoursestolearnersaspartoftheirfull-timedayprovision.Wewanttoaddressthisanomalyandofferlearnerstheopportunitytoattendcoursesparttime,evening,summerandweekends.

PreparingStudents for theWorkforce:Wesupportthe introduction of mid-degree “sandwich year”courses,wherebystudentsspendtheir thirdyearofuniversityworkingforanIrishbusiness.Suchcourseshavebeenshowntosignificantlyincreaseastudent’sjobprospects,post-graduation.

StudentAccommodation:Wewillamendtheplanningguidelinestosupporttheconstructionofon-campusor near-campus, high-quality, purpose-built studentaccommodationthatcanhelpcontainthegrowthinrents.

Technological universities: Fine Gael continues tosupport the creation of Technological Universities,which will be linked to industry and will have anenormousimpactonourcapacitytocreateandretainjobs in regions. We will prioritise those institutionswith clear ambitions and plans for the furtheringof industry-relevant technological research andeducation.

Further Education and Training Centres: Fine Gaelwillworkwithfurthereducationinstitutionstoutilisefacilities and during summer months offer more

schoolshavebeenestablished.FineGaelwillcontinueto increase the number of non-denominational andmulti-denominationalschoolswithaviewtoreaching300by2030.

Protecting the Denominational Ethos of Schools:Consistent with expanding the choices available toparents,wewillsafeguardtherightofparentstosendtheirchildrentodenominationalschoolsthatofferadistinctreligiousethos.

TaxpayerSupport forFee-ChargingSchools:Therewillbenofurtherdiscriminationintaxpayersupportforfee-chargingschools.Thereductioninthepupil-teacherratioinSeptember2016willbenefitallschools.

SmallSchools:Wewillnotcloseanyschoolagainstthewishesofparents.FineGaelwill,however,providepositive incentives for small schools amalgamation,suchasadditionalcapitalworks.Within3months,wewillcommenceareviewoftheteacherappointmentthresholdsfor3and4-teacherschools.

4. WE WILL ExpAND ThE RANGE, AFFORDAbILITy AND QuALITy OF hIGhER EDuCATION OpTIONS.FineGaelisdeterminedtodeliverastepchangeinourhigherleveleducationsystem’scapacitytoeducate,develop,deployandretaintalent.

MoreTaxpayerSupport forHigherEducation:FineGael is committed to addressing the funding gapfor the higher education sector. Just to stand still,the sector requires €100m of additional funding toprovideforthegrowingnumberofstudentsgoingontohigherleveleducationandFineGaeliscommittedto providing this out of exchequer resources. Inaddition, we are committed to providing €150m inadditionalcapital resources for facilities,asoutlinedin the 2016-2021 Capital Plan, including the €40mthathasbeencommittedtotheGrangegormanDITproject.FollowingthepublicationoftheExpertGroupreport,FineGaelwilloutlineacompletefundingplanforthehighereducationsector.

A More Efficient Higher Education Sector: FineGael will ensure that additional funding for thehigher level education sector will be conditional oncontinued reforms of the sector that cut out wasteand unnecessary costs, encourage more incomegeneration by the sector in collaboration with



local enterprises to develop career traineeshipsthat combine classroom education with on-the-jobtraining.Wewillbenchmarkprogress.AspartofourNationalSkillsStrategy,wewill alsoprovide 19,000traineeshipplacesby2020.

Springboard: We will review the successfulSpringboardprogrammetodetermineifnew2-yearcourses are merited for sectors with complex skillrequirements.

Momentum: We will continue to provide qualityupskillingandtrainingopportunitiestolong-termjobseekersunder theMomentumprogramme. Wewillalso keep the opportunities provided under review,toensurethatwetargettheneedsofjobseekersandemployersinarecoveringeconomy.

AdultLiteracy:FineGaelrecognisesthatlowlevelsofproficiencyinliteracy,numeracyandproblemsolvingcanhaveanegativeimpactuponaperson’ssocialandhealthoutcomes. Wewill improveaccessroutestolearningtoensurethatthosewithlowqualificationsorskillsarenotleftbehind.

flexible, frequent courses, including conversioncourses. Wewill alsoworkwith industry toensurecourses are designed with in-demand skills need inmind.

Enterprise Engagement: We will internationallybenchmark entrepreneurial activity in Irish highereducation and work with the HEA to ensure anambitious and implementable plan to identify andaddressskillsgapsandICTandSTEMneeds.

Apprenticeships for the 21st Century: Fine Gael inpartnership with the Apprenticeship Council andindustrywilldoublethenumberofapprenticeshipstoprovideatotalof31,000placesby2020throughanannualcallfornewproposals.Wearetargetingover100differentapprenticeshipschemesspreadacrosssectorsoftheeconomy.

Local Industry and Career Traineeships: FineGael replaced FáS and 33 VECs with 16 newFurther Education and Training Boards (ETBs) tostrengthen local training capacity and ability. Withstudent outcomes in mind, we will reform the ETBfunding model to reward ETBs that partner with


MORE AND bETTER JObSIntegratedFrameworkforSocialInclusion:Inanewterm, we will develop a new Integrated FrameworkforSocial Inclusion,builtonour threepillars,whichwill tackle inequality and poverty. Our IntegratedFramework will outline measures to help eliminateanypersistingdiscriminationongroundsofgender,age, family status,marital status, sexual orientation,race,disability,religionormembershipoftheTravellerCommunity. It will draw on existing as well as newstrategies, in particular the (i) New Pathways toWorkPlanforJoblessHouseholds,(ii)NewNationalWomen’s Strategy, (iii) New National DisabilityInclusion Strategy, (iv) Comprehensive EmploymentStrategy for People with Disabilities, (v) NationalTravellerandRomaInclusionStrategy,and(vi)NewActionPlanforEducationalInclusion.

Pathways to Work Plan for Jobless Households(seeSocialWelfare,MakingWorkPayandPensionschapterforfurtherdetail):WewillpublishaspecificPathways to Work Plan for Jobless Households.It will have targets for individuals within joblesshouseholdsandupdatestothePlanwillbepublishedonaregularbasis.Supportingjoblesshouseholdsintothe workforce is the most effective way to reducechildpoverty. Inparticular,ournewWorkingFamilyPayment is specifically designed to promote work

Action on equality is required by all groups in oursociety,buttheStatemustplayarole inmobilisingthe resources for change and enabling citizens toovercomethebarrierstheyface.FineGael’s intensefocusonearlyyearsandearlyinterventionmeanswewillbetacklingthesebarriersattheearliestpossibleopportunity.Nochildshouldhaveto live inpovertyandnofamilyshouldhavetofacehomelessness.OurLongTermEconomicPlanwillprovidetheresourcestoinvestinservicesthatprotecttheweakestandmostvulnerableinoursocietyfrompovertyandexclusion.

Fine Gael believes that a fair and inclusive societymustbebuiltonastrongeconomy.Thethreepillarsofthisare:

•MoreandBetterJobs:Unemploymentisthegreatestsource of unfairness in society, with its economic,socialandhealtheffects.

•Long Term Thinking for Better Services: Only asustainable economy can deliver the resourcesneededtoprovidepublicserviceswhichenableandprotectourcitizens,especiallythemostvulnerable.

•EqualityofOpportunity:Specificpoliciesareneededalongsideastrongeconomytoensurethateveryonehas a fair and equal opportunity to participate insociety,regardlessoftheircircumstances.

100 years on from the signing of the 1916 Proclamation, we have an opportunity to reassess the progress we have made as a society and to redefine who we are, and who we wish to become, as a nation.

12.An Equal, Fair and Inclusive Society



Comprehensive Employment Strategy for Peoplewith Disabilities: Work has commenced alreadyon the implementation of this strategy. It seeks tosupport people with disabilities into employmentandprovidebridgesandsupportsintojobsaswellasofferingcertaintyofincomesupportifajobdoesnotworkout.

It is also important that the needs of young adultswithdisabilitiesaresupportedatschoolandthattheyarehelpedtomakethetransitiontofurthertrainingortheworkforce.

LONG-TERM ThINKING FOR bETTER SERvICESEarlyyearsInvestment:Oneofthemostconsistentfindings from modern social research is that byinvesting inachild’searlyyears,societyreaps largedividends.Earlyyearsinvestmentisassociatedwithahostofpositiveoutcomes,includinghighersecondaryschool completion and employment rates, higherlifetimeearnings,andreducedcrimerates. It isalsoone of the single most effective ways of tacklingintergenerationalcyclesofjoblessnessandpoverty.

BetterStart inLife:Weare targeting investment inchildren’s early years and in early intervention andprevention,sothatallchildrenbenefitfromequalityof opportunity. Fine Gael has made childcare moreaffordable, and we will introduce 2 weeks’ parentalleave each year to further support parental care,whichisparticularlybeneficialinachild’sfirstyear.Aspartofourintenseinvestmentinearlyyears,wearereducingthepupil-teacherratioforjuniorandseniorinfantsto18:1.Wewillalsobuildonthekeysuccessesof the School Completion Programme and seek toincreaseschoolretention.

Wehave introduced a rangeof additional supportstoenablechildrenwithdisabilitiestofullyparticipatein, and reap the benefits of, pre-school care andeducation.Wewilloverhaulcurrentfundingprovisiontoensureearlyinterventionandcontinuetoseekwaystoovercomeobstaclesforallchildren.

Disability Inclusion Strategy: We will mandategovernmentdepartmentsandstatebodies,includinglocal authorities and the HSE, to work together toensurepeoplewithdisabilitiesarefullysupportedintheirdailylives.ThisStrategywillensurethatpeople

overwelfare,targetinglow-incomefamilies.FineGaelisdeterminedtoeradicateallremainingwelfaretraps.

PayEqualityandTransparency:Householdsheadedbywomenareatahigherriskofpovertythanthoseheadedbymen,andwhileadvanceshavebeenmade,genderpayinequalitiespersist.Wewillincreasewagetransparencybyrequiringcompaniesof50andmoreemployeestoparticipateinpaysurveys,tostrengthentheprincipleofequalpayforequalwork.

Equality in State Pension Entitlements: We willrequiretheDepartmentofSocialProtectiontoreview,within6months,thecalculationoftheStatepension,and the costs and benefits associated with givingparents (mostly women) credits for years spent“homemaking”outsidethepaidworkforce.

A More Equal Workplace: The ongoing creation ofsustainable employment is critical to keeping therecovery going, and equity at work is essential toattracting and retaining motivated employees andbuilding a positive working environment. Similarto public bodies, we will encourage employers toimplementequalityplanssoastoensureallworkplacesarewelcomingtoallexistingandpotentialemployees.

Female Entrepreneurship: Fine Gael has sought toincreasefemaleentrepreneurshipthroughanumberoftargetedinitiatives,suchastheACORNprogramme,which supportsearly stage femaleentrepreneurs inruralIreland.WearedeterminedtobuildonthelatestEnterpriseIreland(EI)figures,whichshowasignificantincrease in femaleparticipation inentrepreneurship.Aspartofthis,oneofthekeyactionsofActionPlanforJobs(APJ)2016willbetofundlocallydeliveredcourses for women which will comprise a series oftrainingopportunitiesonself-developmentandwork-relatedskills toassista return to the labourmarketandpromoteentrepreneurship.

WomenintheDefenceForces:Recognisingtheverystrong contribution made by female personnel, wewillprioritisetheneedtoaddressthegapinfemaleparticipation in the Defence Forces. Fine Gael willincreasetheleveloffemaleparticipation,withthegoalofdoublingtherateofparticipationfromthecurrent6%to12%inthenext5years.WewillensurefutureUNpeacekeepingmissions incorporateanumberofgender-focusedmeasuresandtheworkofthePeaceandLeadershipInstituteprovidesanopportunityforthedevelopmentofexpertiseintheseareas.


withdisabilitiesaretreatedasequalcitizens,providedwith independence to live how they choose andenabledtoreachtheirfullpotential.

SocialInnovationFund:FineGaelbelievesthatsocialinnovationhasan important role toplay in shapingthe future of Ireland; to shape Ireland as a countrythatisnotonlyeconomicallyprosperousbutamoreinclusiveandfairersocietyinwhichtolive.Duetothewinding down of major philanthropic organisations,suchasAtlanticPhilanthropiesandOneFoundation.A potential gap has opened up in the funding ofsocialprojects.Toclosethisgap,FineGaelproposetodrivesocialinnovationpolicyintheDepartmentofthe Taoiseach and establish Social Innovation FundIreland with a view to raising a minimum of €50million to provide growth capital to Ireland’s bestsocialinnovations.Thismoneywillberaisedthroughphilanthropy, along with a previously announcedcommitmentof€5millionmatchedbyphilanthropists,andwillstrengthenandfostersocialinnovation.

EQuALITy OF OppORTuNITySupportingtheLGBTCommunity:WhiletheMarriageEquality Referendum was a major step forward inrecognisingtheLGBTcommunity,wemustcontinuetoensurethatallaspectsofoursocietyaresafeandsupportiveofLGBTpeople.Inparticular,wewill:

•BuildupontheDepartmentofEducationandSkillsAnti-BullyingPlan,andfocusonensuringourschoolsaresafeandsupportiveplacesinwhichLGBTyoungpeople can discover their sexual orientation orgenderidentity

•Ensurethat,withinallworkplaces,LGBTpeoplearenotinhibitedfromachievingtheirfullestpotential

•WorkwithAnGardaSíochánatoprovideservicesandtrainingtoassistmembersoftheLGBTcommunityin seeking support should they experiencehomophobicortransphobicincidents

•Continuetoresourceadultandchildmentalhealthservices in the community, ensuring timely accesstoservicesforallvulnerablegroups,includingLGBTpeople

Fine Gael is committed to increasing femaleparticipation at local and national level and iscommittedtogenderequalityinpolitics.ItwasFineGael that introduced gender quota legislation andwehavereachedthe30%quotaforthe2016generalelection. To make our parliament a more attractiveworkingenvironmentforallOireachtasmemberswithyoungfamilies,FineGaelwillasktheCeannComhairleand the Oireachtas to consider the introduction offamily friendlyhours for theDáil followinga reviewof how other parliaments address this issue and aconsultationprocesswithallmembersas tohow itwouldworkinourparliament.

NationalWomen’sStrategy:FineGaeliscommittedtopublishinganupdatedNationalWomen’sStrategythatpromotesgenderequality,women’sparticipationindecisionmakingandtheempowermentofwomen.This Strategy will be published following publicconsultation and will be monitored on an ongoingbasistoensureprogressinitsimplementation.

NationalTravellerandRomaInclusionStrategy:Wewill publish a revised National Traveller and RomaInclusion Strategy, aimed at improving the lives ofmembersoftheTravellerandRomacommunities.

A Referendum to Reflect a Changing Society:While recognising that women still undertake ahigh proportion of unpaid tasks in the home, thereis now a wider diversity in the caring situations ofmanyIrishfamilies,whichshouldbereflectedinourConstitution. We will hold a referendum on Article41.2.1ofBunreachtnahEireannregardinga“woman’slifewithinthehome”.

Offence of Blasphemy: We will hold a referendumonthequestionofamendingArticle40.6.1(i)of theConstitutiontoremovetheoffenceofblasphemy.



13.Families and ChildcareThroughout this manifesto, Fine Gael’s focus is to keep the recovery going so that families across Ireland can plan for their future. Ireland can never go back to where we were in 2011. That is why Fine Gael has set out solid steps in our Long Term Economic Plan to provide families with confidence that the next 5 years will not be like the last 5. In an uncertain world, our Plan will reinforce Ireland’s position as a jobs and family-focused country of stability and opportunity.

Gael.Weunderstandthatateachstageofachild’sdevelopmenttheirneedschangeandwemustprovidechoiceandflexibleoptionsforfamiliestoavailof.

Paid Leave in the First year: Research shows thatchildrenbenefitmostfromparentalcareintheirfirstyear. Current maternity leave entitlement is for 24weeksafterbirth (and2weeksprior).Budget2016has introduced 2 weeks’ paternity leave from thisSeptember(whichcanbetakenconcurrentlyorwhenmaternityleavehasended).Buildingonthis,FineGaelis committed to an additional 8 weeks’ paid leaveentitlement tobeavailedofbyeitherparentwithinthefirstyearofachild’sbirth.Startingin2018,thiswillbeimplementedonaphasedbasisof2additionalweeksperyear.Whenfullyimplemented,paidleaveentitlementswillbeup to34weeksafterababy isborn,withadditionalunpaidmaternityleaveifafamilychoosetoavailofit.

FreePre-School:FineGaelhasextendedthefreepre-schoolyearforchildrenage3untiltheystartschool.Commencing in September, this will reduce pre-schoolcostsby€1,500onaverageforafamily.

Home Carer’s Credit: We will support parents thatchoosetostayathometocarefortheirchildren.Aspartofthis,FineGael’staxreformswillsupportone-incomefamiliescaringforachildorotherdependent

MAKING WORK pAy FOR FAMILIES AbolishingtheuSC:Buildingontheprogressmadeinourlasttwobudgets,FineGaelwillcompletetheabolitionoftheUSCbyend2020.Wewillreducethemain5.5%rateofUSCby1%inBudget2017,amongothermeasures.

MinimumWage:Wewillincreasetheminimumwageto€10.50perhourduringasecondterm,whilecuttingthelowerrateofEmployers’PRSItomitigatethecostofminimumwageincreases.

The “Working Family Payment” (see the SocialWelfare, Making Work Pay and Pensions chapterfor further detail): We will roll out a new WorkingFamily Payment that promotes work over welfare.Targetedatlow-incomefamilies,itwillsupplement,onagraduatedbasis,theincomeofahousehold,whileatthesametimeincentivisingmorehoursandfull-timework.Itwillensurethatparentsworkingmorethan15hoursaweekwillreceiveatleast€11.75anhour.

FAMILy-FRIENDLy ChILDCARE Asweworktokeeptherecoverygoing,parentsneedaffordable childcare that makes work pay for theirfamily. The provision of quality and affordable careand education for all children is a priority for Fine


fine gael’s focus is to keep the recovery going so that families across Ireland can plan for their future. Ireland can never go back to where we were in 2011.



person.Wewill increasetheHomeCarer’sCreditto€1,650,whilealsoincreasingfrom€7,200to€10,500theincomeexemptionforthehomecarer.

AffordableChildcarefrom9-36Months:Aspartofour plan for more affordable and quality childcare,FineGaelwillreducetheparentalbillby€2,000perannumbyprovidingadirectannualsubsidytocentre-basedproviderscaringfull timeforchildrenaged9monthsto36months.Parentsworkingpart-timeorintrainingoreducationwillbeentitledtoapro-ratareduction.

Making use of School Buildings for After-SchoolCare:Schoolbuildingsmustbeutilisedtooffermorechoice and convenience to parents in after-schoolcare for their5-12yearolds. FineGaelwillprovidean additional €50m in funding for primary andsecondary schools by 2021 for general operating(capitation) costs, conditional on schools makingtheir facilities available for after-school care wheresufficient demand exists. Community groups andprivate providers will be invited to tender to useschoolfacilities.SomeschoolsinCorkalreadyprovidethisservicetoparents,andinreturnschoolsreceiveafinancialcontributionfromthechildcareprovider.

InformalChildcare:FineGaelrecognisesthevalueofinformal childcare for families. We also support thedevelopmentofaphasedprogrammeofreformsforchildminderswhichwillmakeiteasiertosupportandassistbothfamiliesandchildminders.

Targeted Childcare Support: We will continue toexpand targeted supports that provide affordablechildcaretolow-incomefamilies.Additionallow-costchildcare places increased from 35,000 in 2015 to48,000in2016.

quality and Sustainable Childcare: Fine Gael willensureregularqualityauditstomeasurethe impactofinvestmentinhigherqualitychildcare.Budget2016providedfundingfortheBetterStartInitiative,SíoltaQualityAssuranceProgramme(QAP)andaLearnerFund,whicharekeytoolsinensuringimprovedquality.Wewillworktoensurethesustainabilityofthesector.

Inspections:FineGaelinheritedasystemofchildcareregulationandinspectionthatwasnotfitforpurpose.Ingovernmentwehaveworked toput inplace the

buildingblockstorectifythis,suchasensuringthatallinspectionreportsarenowavailabletoparentsonline,along with significantly expanding Tusla’s ChildcareInspectorate.

We are committed to continuing to strengthenregulations, and to ensuring that every service isinspected and compliant before it opens. We willfurtherdeveloptheBetterStartinitiative,supportingchildcareservicestoenhancequality.Wewillcontinueto expand inspectorates, increasing the number ofunannouncedinspections.

hEALThCARE (SEE hEALTh ChApTER FOR FuRThER DETAIL)FineGael’sLongTermEconomicPlanwillallowustoproactivelysupportfamiliesfromthebirthofachildtoadulthood,andmovetofocusonpreventionratherthanintervention.

FreeGPCareforunder18s:FreeGPCareforUnder18s:BuildingontheprovisionoffreeGPcaretoseniorcitizensandyoungchildren,wewillextendGPcarewithout fees to children under 18 years by 2019,subjecttonegotiationswithGPs.Justover400,000children whose parents currently have to pay foraccesstoaGPwillbenefitfromthischange.Budget2016hasprovidedfortheintroductionoffreeGPcareforunder 12s.Subject tonegotiationswithGPs, thefollowingphaseofourplanwillbetoprovidefreeGPcareto12-17yearolds.

Free Dental Care for under 6s: Building on theprovisionofGPcarewithoutfeesforchildrenunder6,FineGaelwillintroduceadentalhealthpackageforthiscohort.Togetherwithexistingdentalchecksat6,9and12years,everychildunder12willbeentitledtoacomprehensivepreventivedentalhealthprogramme.

DentalTreatmentBenefit:WewillextendtheDentalTreatmentBenefitundertheSocialInsuranceFundtoreimbursethecostofsomeroutinedentaltreatments.

PreventiveDentalHealthPackageforMedicalCardHolders:Wewillintroduceapreventivedentalhealthpackage providing examination, cancer screening,scaling and polishing, any necessary preventivetreatment,radiographsandprescription.


Catholicschoolstonewpatrons,wherethesupportof communities exists. Fine Gael will work with allstakeholderstofacilitatethisprocess.Since2011,49newmulti-denominationalprimaryandpostprimaryschoolshavebeenestablished.FineGaelwillcontinueto increase the number of non-denominational andmulti-denominationalschoolswithaviewtoreaching300by2030.

ExtendMandatorySchoolingAge:Wewill increasethemandatoryschoolingageto17.

SpecialEducationalNeeds:Forayoungchild,parentand teacher, it is crucial that early detection andinterventiontakesplacesothateachchildcanreachtheir fullpotential.Over€1.4bn isspentannuallyonspecial education, yet families still face anxiety inaccessing services. We will maintain and examinecurrent funding provision, with a view to ensuringchildren get the earliest and best support possible.Fine Gael increased the number of Special NeedsAssistants from10,575to 12,040.Wealso increasedthenumberofresourceteachersfrom5,175to7,452in2016.Wewillcontinuetodoso.Wewillconsultwithstakeholders to see how best to progress sectionsof the EPSEN Act that were introduced on a non-statutorybasis.

IntroduceIn-SchoolSpeechandLanguageTherapyService:FineGaelwill invest€10mby2021 to fund217additionaltherapistsforanewmodelofIn-SchoolSpeechandLanguageTherapy,involvingcollaborationbetweenparents,schoolsandprimarycareservicesthathasbeenproventobeeffectiveinternationally.


AMoreEfficientandResponsiveHigherEducationSector:FineGaelwillensurethatadditionalfundingfor thehighereducationsector–whether fromthetaxpayerorstudents–willbeconditionaloncontinuedreform,tocutoutwasteandunnecessarycostsandtoencouragemoreincomegeneration,incollaborationwiththeprivatesector.

Significantly Reducing the Maximum Annual Costof Medicines: We will significantly reduce the levelof co-payment which families/individuals have topayformedicinesundertheDrugPaymentScheme.Currentlyafamily/individualhastopayamaximumof€1,728peryearandthiswillbereducedto€950,helping families/individuals with significant ongoingmedical bills. Currently a family or individual witha medical card has to pay up to €25 a month inprescriptioncharges,thiscapwillalsobereducedtoamaximumof€17.50amonth.

EnhancedPrimaryCare:Wehavecommittedfundingforatleast80additionalprimarycarecentres.Subjecttonegotiations,wewillfundGPstoexpandtoserviceslikeminor surgeryandcardiacmonitoring. WewillensureGPshaveaccesstoX-ray,ultrasoundandotherinvestigationsfortheirpatients,keepingpeopleinthecommunityandoutofhospital.

EDuCATION (SEE EDuCATION AND SKILLS ChApTER FOR FuRThER DETAIL)As we work to keep the recovery going, we knowthat it is only in an Education Nation, where talentandpotentialisnurtured,thatoureconomicprogresscanbemaintainedandbuilton.FineGaelhassetout,indetail,itsvisionforeducationaspartofourLongTermEconomicPlan.

ReducethePupil-TeacherRatioforJuniorandSeniorInfants:FineGaelwillfund,by2021,anadditional832teaching posts and reduce the pupil-teacher ratioforjuniorandseniorinfantsfrom28:1to18:1,phasedin from September 2017. Smaller classes have thegreatestbeneficialimpactonyoungerpupils.Budget2016provided for2,260 teachers, commencing thisSeptember. In addition, we will fund an additional2,392teachingpostsby2021to–attheveryleast–maintainthepupil-teacherratio inallother levelsoftheprimaryandsecondaryschools.

MoreMulti-DenominationalandNon-DenominationalSchools: Fine Gael will strengthen parental choiceand diversity in our schools system, reflecting theneed in modern Ireland for new forms of multi-denominational and non-denominational education.Aroadmaphasbeenagreedforaphasedtransferof



ThE FAMILy hOMEAnaffordablesupplyofqualityhousingisnecessaryfor maintaining our economic competitiveness andkeeping the recovery going. We are committedto supporting a sustainable increase in the annualhousingoutput,whileensuringthatweneverrepeatFiannaFáil’spreviousmistakesinthisarea.

IncreasingHomeBuilding:TomeethousingdemandFineGaelwillsupportanincreaseintheannualhousingoutput toasustainable levelof25,000by2021.Aspartofthisgoal,wewillsupportNAMAtodeliverontheirtargetof20,000residentialunitsbeforetheendof2020.

AFairSocialHousingSystem:FineGaelwillprovideover 110,000 social housing units by 2020, throughthe delivery of 35,000 new units and meeting thehousingneedsofsome75,000householdsthroughthe Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and RentalAccommodation Scheme (RAS). These measureswilladdresstheneedsofhouseholdsonthehousingwaiting list, while also providing some flexibility forincreaseddemand.

Mortgage Switching: We will establish a codeof conduct for switching mortgage provider,administered by the Central Bank, which shouldinform and encourage mortgage holders to switchtomorecompetitivebanks.Wewillalsointroduceastandardised and dedicated switching form, whichwillbesimpletouseandquicktoadminister.

New Mortgage Rules: We support the CentralBank review of the new rules, including a publicconsultation, toassess their impactand toproposerecommendationsonfootofitsfindings.Wewillalsoexamine the role of mortgage insurance schemes,bothstateandprivate-sectorfunded.

HomeRenovationScheme:FineGaelhasextendedthe attractive and successful Home RenovationSchemetotheendof2016.



Gaeltacht Act 2012: Under the Gaeltacht Act 2012,wewill implementthelanguageplanningprocessinthe Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas, GaeltachtServiceTownsandIrishLanguageNetworks.

Language Planning Process: We will engage withtheDepartmentofArts,HeritageandtheGaeltachtand Údarás na Gaeltachta to clarify the role thateducation will play in complementing the languageplanningprocesses takingplace inaccordancewiththeGaeltachtAct2012.

Naíonraí: The recent Gaeltacht review by theDepartment of Education and Skills indicates thatattendance by children in Irish-medium pre-schoolsornaíonraí inGaeltachtareashasapositive impacton children’s language development in Irish and onparents’ownuseofthelanguageinthehome.FineGaelsupportsthestrengtheningofthisprovisionandwillexplorethepossibilityofaccommodatingnaíonraíonthesiteofprimaryschools.

Language Focus on Infant Cycle: We believe thatprimary schools recognised as Gaeltacht schoolsshouldbeallowed topractise totalearly immersionthroughIrishforaperiodofupto2years(juniorandseniorinfants).

Language Supports: Fine Gael supports theintroduction of measures to support both the

Aspartof this reinvigoration,wewillpayparticularattentiontotheGaeltachtandtheeducationsystem.Currentlytherearefewerthan1,000nativespeakersinprimaryschoolsinthestrongestGaeltachtareas.Lessthan10%of15-18yearoldsinGaeltachtareascurrentlyspeakIrishonadailybasis.ThisstarkfigureisacalltoactiontosustainandreviveIrishasaspokenlanguageinourlocalcommunities.Irelandneedstoworkhardertopromote the rangeofopportunities thatexist tostrengthen the position of our native language. Toachievethis,wealsoneedtoplaceanextraemphasisonGaeltachteducation,toensurethatwecontinuetohavevibrantIrish-speakingcommunitiesinGaeltachtareas,andagreaterfocusonlanguagestandardsforinitialteachertraining.

Job Creation in the Gaeltacht: As part of theGovernment’sActionPlanforJobs,wewillcontinuetofocusonjobcreationintheGaeltacht,throughÚdarásna Gaeltachta. The additional €1m that was madeavailabletoÚdarás’capitalbudgetinBudget2016isindicativeof thiscommitment.Gaeltacht townsandvillageswillalsobenefitfromtheregionalenterprisestrategies,whichwewillcontinuetoimplementacrossallareasofthecountry.Throughthesestrategies,thevariousagenciesandcompanieswillbeencouragedtoworktogethertobuildontheuniquestrengthsofeachGaeltachtarea.

14.An GhaeilgeFine Gael recognises the crucial importance of the Irish language to our heritage and culture and is committed to its reinvigoration. To this end, we are committed to systematically implementing the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish language. This strategy will increase the number of people using Irish in their daily lives, while also ensuring that Irish becomes a more visible language in today’s society, both as a spoken language and also in areas such as signage and literature.



language development of native speakers and thelearnersofIrishinGaeltachtschools.

CommunityLinks:Wewillpromote theuseof Irishoutsideoftheschoolsettingbyincreasingengagementwithcultural,sportingandsocialactivitiesconductedinIrish.

IrishLanguageAssistantsScheme:WewillreviewtheeffectivenessoftheIrishLanguageAssistantsScheme(ScéimnagCúntóiríTeanga)andlooktoprovideanenhancedservice.

Initial Teacher Training: Fine Gael will examineinitial teacher education, induction and ContinuousProfessional Development (CPD) provision for bothteachersinGaeltachtschoolsandatprimaryandpostprimarylevel.

Summer Colleges: We will introduce a scholarshipscheme for students from disadvantaged areas toattendIrish-languagesummercolleges.

Gaelbhratach Scheme: We will expand theGaelbhratachScheme,whereschoolsarerecognisedand rewarded for their efforts in supporting andpromotingtheIrishlanguage.

IrishintheEu:FineGaelrecognisestheimportanceofthestatusofIrishasafullworkinglanguageoftheEUinstitutionsandwearecommittedtoendingthederogation, as circumstances allow. In the interim,wewilltakeanincrementalapproachtotheprovisionof additional services, while also making targetedreformstoensurethatthereareasufficientnumberofqualifiedgraduatesforthepositionsavailable.

Irish Language and the Diaspora: In order tosupport the Irish languageamongtheDiaspora,wewill continue to fund Irish-language programmes inuniversitiesoverseas,whichwillalsohelptoencourageculturaltourismtoIreland.


a cuireadh ar fáil do bhuiséad caipitil an Údaráis imBuiséad 2016 ar an tiomantas sin. Bainfidh bailteagus sráidbhailte na Gaeltachta leas as na straitéisífiontraíochta réigiúnacha, a leanfaimid orainn ágcur i bhfeidhm i ngach limistéar sa tír. Tabharfarspreagadh trí na straitéisí sin do ghníomhaireachtaíagusgnólachtaíéagsúlaoibriúlenachéilechuntógáilarláidreachtaíuathúlagachlimistéarGaeltachta.

Acht na Gaeltachta 2012: Faoi Acht na Gaeltachta2012,cuirfimidpróiseaspleanálanateangaibhfeidhmsna Limistéir Phleanála Teanga Ghaeltachta, BailteSeirbhíseGaeltachtaagusLíonraíGaeilge.

An Próiseas Pleanála Teanga: Rachaimid i mbunidirbheartaíochta leis anRoinnEalaíon,OidhreachtaagusGaeltachtaaguslehÚdarásnaGaeltachtalegombeidhanrólabheidhaganoideachas,maidirlecurleisnapróisisphleanálateangaabheidhibhfeidhm,agteachtlehAchtnaGaeltachta2012.

Naíonraí:Léiríonnant-athbhreithniúarannGaeltachtarinneanRoinnOideachaisagusScileannaledéanaígo mbíonn tionchar dearfach ag freastal leanaí arréamhscoileanna nó naíonraí i limistéir Ghaeltachtaarfhorbairtteanganaleanaímaidir leisannGaeilgeagus ar úsáid na teanga ag tuismitheoirí sa mbaile.TacaíonnFineGaelleneartúnaforálasinagusféachfar

Mar chuiddenathbheochan sin,díreoimidárn-airdar an nGaeltacht agus ar an gcóras oideachas. Táníos lúna 1,000cainteoirdúchais imbunscoileannasna limistéirGhaeltachta is láidre i láthairnahuaire.Labhraíonnníoslúná10%dedhéagóiríidir15-18bliaind’aois sa Ghaeltacht an Ghaeilge ar bhonn laethúil.Glaoch chun gnímh é an figiúr follasach sin nachmóranGhaeilgeachothúagusaathbheochanmartheangalabharthainárbpobailáitiúla.Nímórd’éirinnabheithagobairníosdéinechunanraondeiseannaatáannachurchuncinnd’fhonnseasamhárdteangadúchaisaneartú.Chunésinabhaintamach,caithfearchomhmaithníosmóbéimea leaganaroideachassa Ghaeltacht, lena chinntiú go mbeidh pobailbhríomhara Ghaeilge againn i limistéir Ghaeltachta,agusbéimníosmóarchaighdeáin teangamaidir lehoiliúinttosaighdomúinteoirí.

AnStraitéis20Bliain:TáanRialtastiomantaleanúintaraghaidhlecuribhfeidhmnaStraitéise20BliaindonGhaeilge2010-2030chuntodhchaíárgcéadteangaoifigiúilachosaint.

CruthúPostannasaGhaeltacht:MarchuiddePhleanGnímh do Phoist an Rialtais, leanfaimid ar aghaidhagleaganbéimearchruthúpostannasaGhaeltacht,tríÚdarásnaGaeltachta.Isléiriúan€1milliúnbreise

14.An GhaeilgeAithníonn Fine Gael an tábhacht mhór a bhaineann leis an nGaeilge ó thaobh ár n-oidhreacht agus ár gcultúr agus táimid tiomanta í a athbheochan. Chun na críche sin, táimid tiomanta ár Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge a chur i bhfeidhm go córasach. Méadóidh an straitéis sin líon na ndaoine a úsáideann an Ghaeilge ina saol laethúil, agus cinnteoidh sí go mbeidh an Ghaeilge níos feiceálaí i sochaí na linne seo, mar theanga labhartha agus i réimsí mar chomharthaíocht agus litríocht araon.



Coláistí Samhraidh: Tabharfaimid isteach scéimscoláireachtadodhaltaíólimistéirfaoimhíbhuntáistelegombeidhsiadinannfreastalarcholáistísamhraidhGaeilge.

An scéim Gaelbhratach: Leathnóimid an scéimGaelbhratach ina dtugtar aitheantas agus cúiteamhdoscoileannaasagcuidiarrachtaíigcurchuncinnnaGaeilgeagusasantacaíochtathugannsiaddi.

GaeilgesanAE:AithníonnFineGaelan tábhachtabhaineannlestádasnaGaeilgemartheangaiomlánoibred’institiúidíanAEagustáimidtiomantadeireadhachurlemaolú,deréirmarisindéanta.Idirandálinn,glacfaimidcurchuigeincriminteachmaidirlesolátharseirbhísíbreise,agusmuidagdéanamhathchóirithespiocdhírithe lena chinntiú go bhfuil líon dóthanachcéimitheoilteannchunnapostannaatáannalíonadh.

AnGhaeilgeagusanDiaspóra:D’fhonntacúleisannGaeilgeimeascanDiaspóra,leanfaimidaraghaidhle cláracha Gaeilge a mhaoiniú in ollscoileanna tharlear, rud a chabhróidh linn turasóireacht chultúrthachunnahéireannaspreagadhchomhmaith.

arnaféidearthachtaíabhaineannlenaíonraíachurarshuíomhnambunscoileanna.

FócasTeangaaran tSraithNaíonán:Creidimidgurchóirgombeadhceadagbunscoileannaaaithnítearmar scoileanna Gaeltachta luath-thumoideachas achleachtadhtríGhaeilgearfeadhtréimhsesuasle2bhliain(naíonáinbheagaagusmhóra).

Tacaíochtaí Teanga: Tacaíonn Fine Gael le tabhairtisteach bearta chun tacú le forbairt teanga nagcainteoirídúchaisagusnabhfoghlaimeoiríGaeilgesnascoileannaGaeltachta.

Naisc Phobail: Tabharfaimid spreagadh d’úsáid naGaeilgetaobhamuighdenscoiltrírannpháirtíochtinimeachtaícultúir,spóirtagussóisialtaarnareáchtáilinGaeilgeamhéadú.

ScéimnagCúntóiríTeanga:DéanfaimidathbhreithniúarScéimnagCúntóiríTeangaagusféachfarleseirbhísfeabhsaitheachurarfáil.

Oiliúint Tosaigh do Mhúinteoirí: Déanfaidh FineGael iniúchadharoideachastosaighdomhúinteoirí,ionduchtúagussolátharForbarthaGairmiúlaLeanúnaí(CPD)domhúinteoiríiscoileannaGaeltachtaagusaganleibhéalbunscoileagusiarbhunscoile.


ageingpopulation,pay increases, aswell as servicedevelopments.

Medium-TermBudgetCertainty:InBudget2017,wewill setout adetailed5-yearbudget for the healthservice,allowingourhealthservicemanagerstoplanservicedevelopmentswiththebenefitofmuchgreaterfinancial certainty, and to be more accountable forresults.

Increased Frontline Staff: Irish publicly fundedhospitalsareunder-staffedincomparisonwithOECDnormswhenitcomestocertainspecialities.Wewillimplementaworkforceplanthatadds4,400frontlineservicestafftoourhealthservicesby2021,including600hospitalconsultants,doctorsanddentists,2,800nurses and an extra 1,000 health and social careprofessionals.

21st Century Health: We will mandate the HSE toengage strategic partners from the private sectorto help with the planning, financing and rollout ofa21st century IThealth infrastructure, including theindividual health identifier, e-referral, the electronichealthorpatientrecordandanonlinebookingsystem.

Improved Infrastructure: We will open the newChildren’sHospitalatSt.James’sandsatellitecentresin Blanchardstown and Tallaght, the new National

Our health services employ dedicated and highlyskilledprofessionals,butneedmore investmentandreform–morehealthcarestaff,moreempoweredlocalmanagement,more investment in technologyandadecisiveshifttowardscareoutsideofhospitalsandinthecommunity.FineGaeliscommittedtodeliveringastrongandefficientpubliclyfundedhealthservice.Itisonlyastrongeconomythatwillprovideourcountrywiththefoundationneededforbetterhealthservices.

Our plan for Universal Healthcare – for access toquality preventative, primary, curative, rehabilitativeandend-of-lifehealthcarethatistimelyandaffordableforeveryone–willnotbepossibleunlesswekeeptheeconomicrecoverygoing,andwillbebasedonfourkeypillars.

1. MORE RESOuRCES AND STAFF AND bETTER INFRASTRuCTuRE FOR hEALTh SERvICESSensibleIncreasesinExchequerFundingforHealthServices: By keeping the recovery going, our LongTerm Economic Plan will be able to significantlyincreasefundingforourhealthservices.Thiswillcovertheprojectedcostsofhiringextrafrontlinestaff,othernon-payroll service pressures from a growing and

15.healthFine Gael inherited a badly organised and underfunded health service. While Fianna Fáil cut health spending during its final years in government, Fine Gael has used the economic recovery to start rebuilding our health services, with increases in funding for more doctors, nurses and other frontline staff, for additional services such as the extension of Breastcheck, for access to new treatments such as for cancer and Hepatitis C, and for free GP care for the under 6s and over 70s.



fine gael has used the economic recovery to start rebuilding our health services, with increases in funding for more doctors, nurses and other frontline staff and for additional services.


ForensicMedicineCampus inPortraneandthenewNational Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire.WewillcompletethedevelopmentofanewNationalMaternityHospital,anewhomeforHollesStreet,andprogressasfastaspossiblethemoveoftheCoombe,St Munchin’s and the Rotunda to the campuses ofadult hospitals. We will continue to invest in newhospitalbuildings, includinga75-bedwardblockatGalway University Hospital and a new EmergencyDepartment inLimerickUniversityHospital.WewillreviewtheCapitalPlanin2018.

HospitalBedCapacity:FiannaFáilreducedouracutehospitalbedcapacityby1,245(10.3%).Inthelastyear,wehavestartedtoreversethispolicy,providingover300additionalbeds.Ahospitalbedcapacityreviewwillbecarriedoutandcompletedby2017toprovideastrongevidencebaseonwhichtoplanforincreasingbedcapacityfurther,particularlyinthecontextofthecapitalreviewin2018.

EmergencyDepartment(ED)Overcrowding:In2015,€117madditionalfundingwasprovidedformorestaffandmorebedsinhospitalandcommunitysettingstohelpalleviateEDovercrowding.Thishas resulted inimprovement,thoughmoreisrequired.FineGaelwillmakeadecisiveshifttowardscareinthecommunity(minor surgeries, X-rays, chronic illness care), alongwithadditionalfrontlinestafftoalleviatepressureonEDs.

As per international best practice, we will measure,monitorandreducePatientExperienceTimes(PET),which measure the length of time from a patientpresenting at an ED to their discharge home oradmissiontoaward.Currently68%ofpatientsspendless than 6 hours in the ED. We will increase thenumberofpatientsdealtwithwithinthistimeframeby5%perannumuntilitreaches93%.Thesefigureswillbepublishedforeachhospitalonamonthlybasis.

WaitingLists:Waitinglistshavebeenreducedduetoa€50mtarget investment in2015.Wemustsustainthisprogressandarecommittingtosetaside€50meachyeartoreducewaitinglistsfurther.Thisfundingwill target in particular those who have been longwaitingandwillutilisebothsparepubliccapacityandprivatecapacityasnecessary.

Health Insurance: We will maintain a tax andregulatory environment that supports increasedcoveragebyacompetitiveandcost-effectivehealthinsurancemarket.

Funding universal Healthcare: Crucial to the long-term sustainability of Universal Healthcare is thedevelopmentofanewfundingmodelforthehealthservices.ConsiderableworkhasbeenconductedbythisGovernmentonthecostsandimplicationsoftheintroduction of universal health insurance. Furtherworkneedstobeconductedonthecostsofvariousmodels,how tomeet thosecostsandonhowbesttodealwithunmetneedforhealthservicespriortothemovetoanewsystem.Thedeliveryofthereformprogrammeoutlinedbelowmustbecompletedfirstso that the foundations are in place to change thefundingmodel.Thiswill allow thenextgovernmenttomakeafinaldecisiononthebestwayforwardtofinanceUniversalHealthcare.

2. hEALTh REFORM pROGRAMMEDismantling the HSE: The Health Service Executive(HSE) is too large and remote from the front line.Itscentralised“commandandcontrol”model isnotconducive to effective management of hospitals orcommunity services. Its dual responsibility for boththepurchasingandprovisionofhealthcare servicesundermines linesof accountability fordelivery. FineGael will continue its health reform programme,centredarounddismantlingtheHSE,andembeddingHospitalGroupsandCommunityHealthOrganisations(CHOs)withdevolveddecisionmakingcoupledwithgreateraccountability.

Hospital Trusts and Community HealthcareOrganisations: We will evolve Hospital Groups intostandalone statutory Trusts (outside of the HSE)andputCHOsonastatutoryfooting,withtheirownboards and management teams. These boards willhave local representation from the counties theycover.TheHospitalTrustboardswillbeassistedbyrepresentationfromtheiracademicpartners.Wewillcommit€25mperyearby2021fortheestablishmentofHospitalTrustsandtheimplementationofActivityBasedFunding,startingat€5min2017,andincreasingby€5mperyearuntil2021.

HealthCommission:TheHSEwillevolveintoaHealthCommission, focused on purchasing services andcareforpatientsfromHospitalTrustsandCHOs.TheNational Ambulance Service, Health and Wellbeing,shared services like HSE Estates and BusinessServices and the National Clinical Programmes will



New Management for underperforming Hospitals:Wherehospitalsconsistentlyunderperformintermsof clinical outcomes, patient experience and/orfinancial management, it will be open to the boardoftheHospitalGroup/Trusttotemporarilytransfermanagementofthehospital toanotherproviderbymeans of a concession or management contract,without changing in any way the ownership of thehospitals.

voluntary Hospitals: Fine Gael respects thecontribution made by voluntary hospitals to thedevelopment of our health services. We value theirethosandhistoryandwheretheirfinancialaffairsareinorder,itisourintentiontoretaintheirboardsandgovernance structures. Where contracts or servicelevel agreements are fulfilled within their HospitalGroup/Trust,theirautonomywillbeexpanded.

NewConsultants’Contract:Wewillnegotiateanewconsultants’contract,toincludeperformance-relatedpaysimilartothemodeladoptedbytheUK’sNationalHealthService.

ReviewingRolesandResponsibilities:Wewillreviewthe roles and responsibilities of various healthcareprofessionalsworkinginourhospitals.Thiswillincludethe introduction of the transfer of tasks betweendoctorsandnurses,agreaterroleandextendedscopeofpractice,includingtheauthoritytoorderandreportonscans,forradiographersandradiationtherapists.

Making Medicines Available at Affordable Prices:Buildingona30%reductioninthecostofmedicinesand €210m of savings invested in the provision ofnewand innovativedrugs,wewillcontinuetodrivedowncoststoprovidenewtreatments.WewillworkwithourEUcounterpartsinprocuringmedicinesonaEuropean-widebasis,improvingpurchasingpowerand further reducing the cost of medicines to thehealthservice.

Significantly Reducing the Maximum Annual Costof Medicines: We will significantly reduce the levelof co-payment which families/individuals have topayformedicinesundertheDrugPaymentScheme.Currentlyafamily/individualhastopayamaximumof€1,728peryearandthiswillbereducedto€950,helping families/individuals with significant ongoingmedical bills. Currently a family or individual witha medical card has to pay up to €25 a month inprescriptioncharges,thiscapwillalsobereducedtoamaximumof€17.50amonth.

remain under its remit for the duration of the nextgovernment’stermofoffice.

Autonomy and Accountability: Hospital Trusts willowntheirassets,managetheirownrecruitment,agreeindividualcontractswithkeystaffandmakecollectiveagreementswith theiremployees.EachCEOof theHospitalTrustsandCHOswillbeaccountablefortheirbudget.

ServiceRe-Organisation:HospitalGroups/Trustswillberequiredtodevelopstrategicplanstore-organiseservices within their group of hospitals. This is keytominimisingriskstopatientsafetyandmaximisingfavourableoutcomesforpatients.Re-organisationofnationalserviceswillbe ledbytheDepartmentandtheHSE/HealthCommission.

ActivityBasedFunding(ABF):Linkingbudgetswithactivity has the greatest capacity to deliver moreefficienthospitalservicesandgaintimelyqualitycareforpatients.Wewill replaceblockbudgets, fundinghospitalsandotherhealthcareprovidersfortheworktheydoratherthanonthebasisofhistoricalbudgets.The individual health identifier and Health PricingOfficewillbecomekeyenablersofthisreform.

Achieving Better Performance: The HSE, and itssuccessor theHealthCommission,will agreeannualperformancetargetswitheachHospitalGroup/TrustandCHOonwaitingtimesforinpatients,outpatientsandEDattendees.ThesetargetswillbebuiltintoallABFbudgetsastheyarerolledout.

PerformanceManagementunit:AnewPerformanceManagement Unit, with its own ring-fenced budgetof €10m per annum, will be established within theHealthCommission,witha reporting linedirectly totheDirectorGeneral.Itwillsupplyhospitalsandotherserviceproviderswithexpertassistanceandtargetedfinancial investment to assist them in reachingtheir targets. Service providers who fail to meettheirtargets,andwhodonotfullyengagewiththePerformanceManagementUnit,willbeobligedtousetheirownbudgetstoensurethattargetsaremetwiththeassistanceofprivatesectorproviders.

Investing in Management: We will upgrade thestandardofhospitalmanagementbyensuringthatallhospitalmanagersandCEOsareeducatedtoMaster’sinBusinessAdministration(MBA)levelorequivalentandarefundedtodoso.


Ambulance Services: We have enhanced theambulanceservices,providedbettercoordinationofservices,andprioritisedaccessibility;wewillcontinuetodeliversaferpre-hospitalcare.

First Responders: We will expand the NationalFirst Responders Network, training local people inbasic life-saving skills and the use of defibrillators,creatingfurtheradditionalavenuesforearlymedicalintervention.

EmergencyAeromedicalSupportService(EAS):WearecommittedtothecontinuedoperationoftheEAS,recognising the vital support this dedicated serviceprovides, particularly in rural areas. We will explorethepossibleextensionofthisservicetootherpartsofthecountry.

OrganDonation:Wewilllegislateforfamilyconsentandanopt-outregisterinorgandonation.

TacklingtheRisingCostsofClaims:WewillestablishanExpertGrouptoreportwithin6monthsonoptionsforreformingthelawoftortsandthecurrentclaimsprocess, particularly when it comes to birth injuriesandcatastrophicinjuries.

Strengthening Patient Safety and Oversight:Fine Gael is committed to the establishment of anindependent patient advocacy service. In addition,wewillstrengthentheDepartmentofHealth’spatientsafety functions under the Chief Medical Officer’sleadership.

OpenDisclosure:FineGaelconsidersOpenDisclosureas an essential component of patient safety and,in line with the recommendations of the MaddenCommissiononPatientSafetyandQualityAssurance(2008),willprogressanumberofmeasurestosupportit.Thesewillincludelegislationtoensurethatallopendisclosureswillbeprotectedwhenmade,inlinewithnationalstandardstobesetbyHIQAandtheMentalHealthCommission,andthatofferinganapologyorgivingfullinformationupfrontcannotbeseenasanadmission of liability. It will be made mandatory toreport specified patient safety incidents or seriousreportableeventstotheauthoritiesandtothepatientharmed,anditwillbeanoffencenottodoso.

Improving Patient Experience: We will expand theannual publication, by the Department, of statisticsrelatingtopatientexperience,outcomesandsafety,onahospitalandCHOlevel.

IncreasedInspections:WewillexpandtheinspectionfunctionsofHIQAtoincludehomecareandprivatehospitals. We will introduce a licensing regime forhospitalsallowingHIQAtoendorseorrevokealicenseforaparticularservice.

New Technologies for Community and Homecare:Fine Gael will build on the success of the HealthInnovationHubbydevelopingnewtechnologiesandsolutions that help people remain independent intheirhome.

3. A DECISIvE ShIFT TOWARDS pRIMARy AND COMMuNITy CAREAspartofourLongTermEconomicPlantokeeptherecovery going we are committed to significantlyincreasing investment in primary and communitycare, which will include additional doctors, nurses,andtherapists,keepingcareinthecommunity.

ExpandingPrimaryCare:Wewillprovideatleast80additionalprimarycarecentres,aspartoftheCapitalPlan.

keepingGPsIndependent:Wewillprotectthestatusof GPs as independent, autonomous professionalsoutsideofthepublicservice.Wewillexaminetheuseoftaxinstrumentsandotherincentivestoencouragemore investment by GPs in primary care centres,technologyandservicedevelopments.

GPTraining:Toachieveourgoalofmorecareinthecommunity,wemustinvestintrainingforGPs.WewillincreasethenumberofGPtrainingplacesby100overthenext5yearsto259placesannually.

Rural General Practice: Fine Gael recognises theimportanceofmaintainingandsustainingaGPinruralcommunities.Thereforewesupportproposalsaimedat incentivising rural general practice, with the firstmeasures commencing in 2016. We also recognisethat there is a need to provide additional supportfor GP practices in disadvantaged urban areas andwillbringforwardproposals inthisregardfollowingdiscussionswithdoctors’representatives.

ExpandingGPServices:Subjecttonegotiations,wewillfundGPsinexpandingserviceslikeminorsurgery,venesectionandfirst-lineinvestigationssuchasbloodpressure and cardiac monitoring. We will ensurethatGPshaveaccesstoX-ray,ultrasoundandotherinvestigationsfortheirpatients.



millionadditionalhoursforhomehelp,bringingitto12.6millionhoursannually,andadditionalhomecarepackages,keepingolderpeopleintheirhomes.

uniformity of Home Care Services: We know thathomehelpandhomecareprovisionacrossthecountryrangesfromexcellenttoirregular.FineGaelwillputanewstructureinplacethatwillprovideaconsistent,high-qualitylevelofhomecare,tothosewhoneedit.

FairDeal:WewillfundadditionalbedsfortheNursingHomeSupportSchemetokeepthewaitingtimefortheFairDealschemeatapproximately4weeksandensuresupportforthoseunabletoremainathome.

Children’sDentalHealth:Wewillintroduceadentalhealth package for the under 6s including dentalhealth advice for those under 18 months, dentalwellnesschecksandappropriatetreatmentbetween3and6years.

DentalTreatmentBenefit:WewillextendtheDentalTreatmentBenefitundertheSocialInsuranceFundtoreimbursethecostofsomeroutinedentaltreatments.

PreventiveDentalHealthPackageforMedicalCardHolders:Wewillintroduceapreventivedentalhealthpackage providing examination, cancer screening,scaling and polishing, any necessary preventivetreatment,radiographsandprescription.

Mental Health: Despite the economic crisis weinherited,FineGaelincreasedthebudgetformentalhealthby€160mbetween2012-2016,atotalincreaseof20%.Wewillcontinuetoprovidefurtherresourcesto ensure services reach people directly. We willpublish aplan for theachievementof faster accessto comprehensive and appropriate mental healthservices,buildinguponAVisionforChange,withanemphasison:

•Preventive medicine and early detection, basedaround primary care services in the community,making full use of multi-disciplinary primary careteams

•Extending youth mental health services, such asJigsaw,whichisfreetoaccessanddoesnotrequireGPreferral

•ExtendingtheCounsellinginPrimaryCareservicetomorepeople

•Greater access to counselling and psychologicalservices, including to charities who offer freecounsellingforfamilies

Chronic Disease Management: We will expandchronic disease management in general practice,taking intoaccountadvicefromthe IrishCollegeofGeneral Practitioners (ICGP). Over 63,000 patientshavesignedupforthediabetescycleofcareingeneralpractice, which was initiated in 2015. In addition todiabetes, which is already covered, we will seek tocover chronic pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma,heartfailureandatrialfibrillation,sothatpatientscankeeptheircareintheircommunity,closetohome.

Multi-Disciplinary Teams: To underpin theexpansion of services we will increase the numberof physiotherapists, occupational therapists, mentalhealth professionals, public health and communitynurses,advancednursepractitioners,nurse/midwifespecialists and social workers in our primary carecentres.

FreeGPCareforunder18s:BuildingontheprovisionoffreeGPcaretoseniorcitizensandyoungchildren,wewillextendGPcarewithoutfeestochildrenunder18yearsby2019,subjecttonegotiationswithGPs.Justover400,000childrenwhoseparentscurrentlyhavetopayforaccesstoaGPwillbenefitfromthischange.Budget2016hasprovidedfortheintroductionoffreeGPcare for under 12s. Subject tonegotiationswithGPs,thefollowingphaseofourplanwillbetoprovidefreeGPcareto12-17yearolds.

Medical Cards for Domiciliary Care Recipients: Inrecognitionoftheadditionalmedicalcostsandneedsthat are often associated with a severe disability,FineGaelwilllegislateinourfirstyearingovernmentto extend the entitlement to a medical card to allchildreninreceiptoftheDomiciliaryCareAllowance.Approximately10,000childrenwillbenefitfromthisinitiative.

Community Pharmacists: We will expand the roleof community pharmacists, beyond dispensingprescriptions, to managing the health of theirpatients, within 2 years. This may include a minorailments scheme, a new medicines and medicationreview service, vaccines, warfarin clinics, smokingcessationandchronicdiseasemanagement.Wewillextendalimitedauthoritytopharmaciststoprescribemedicines.

ServicesforOlderPeopleintheCommunity:Wearecommittedtosignificantlyenhancingolderpeoples’services over the next 5 years. This will include 2.2


•Greateraccesstointerventions,whichuseevidence-based practice to help combat depression andanxiety

•Integrationofpsychotherapy,counsellingandsocialcareserviceswithprimarycareteams

•Supporting mental health recovery by offeringfollow-uptrainingandboosterself-helpcourses

•Investmentininnovativemodelsofcareandservicemodernisation,suchasprojectsadvancedbyGenio

•AppropriateamendmentstotheMentalHealthAct2001 to address concerns regarding involuntarycommittalsandprocedures

•Building on reduced waiting times for child andadolescentservices

•Reducedadmissionratestoacuteunits

•Progressing the transfer of the Central MentalHospitaltoanewsite

•Newcapitaldevelopmentsformentalhealth,usingfundsfromthesaleofolderassets

•Improvedinteragencycooperation

•Supporting mental health recovery throughaccessingappropriatesocialhousingwithtenancysustainmentservices.

4. IMpROvING ThE hEALTh AND WELL-bEING OF ThE NATIONHealthy Ireland:Wewillpursue theHealthy Irelandand HSE Health and Well-being programmes,supportedbyincreasedannualbudgets.

Alcohol Misuse: We will enact the Public Health(Alcohol) Bill, with a full review 3 years postimplementation to consider additional measures tofurthertackleexcessalcoholconsumptionandmisuse.

Reducing the Prevalence of Smoking: Fine Gaelremainscommittedtomaking IrelandTobaccoFreeby2025.Wewillvigorouslydefendplainpackagingoftobaccoproductsagainstlitigationbythetobaccoindustry.Wewillinvestinpublicawarenesscampaignstoencouragemorepeople togiveupsmoking.Wewillprohibitsmokingwithinthecampusesofprimaryandsecondaryschoolsandchildcarefacilities.Wewillincreasetheexcisedutyonapackof20cigarettesby45centperyear,withapro-rataincreaseonothertobaccoproducts.

HealthLevyonSugar-SweetenedDrinks:FineGaelingovernmentestablishedaSpecialActionGrouponObesity.Aspartofourcomprehensiveplantoaddresslevels of obesity and encourage healthy diets andlifestyles,wewillpublishanObesityActionPlanforIreland.Aspartofthis,wewillincludetheintroductionofa€24.64TaxperHectolitreofSugarSweetenedDrinks(CNCode2202),whichwillraisetheaveragepriceofacanofsodaby10c.Wewill introducethenewlevyfrom2018,followingextensiveconsultationwithindustry,theRevenueCommissionersandotherstakeholders.

Healthy Nation: We will implement the NationalPhysical Activity Plan, the National Obesity ActionPlanandtheSexualHealthStrategy.

Improved vaccination Programme: We will expandthe childhood vaccination programme to includemeningitis B and rotavirus vaccines from the latterpartof2016.

Screening: We will complete the extension ofBreastchecktoallwomenaged65to69in2016,andpursuetheintroductionofnewscreeningprogrammeswhichareevidence-basedandcost-effective.

Maternity Care Strategy: We will implement therecentlypublishedNationalMaternityStrategy,whichsetsoutacleardirectionformaternityservices,withchoiceforexpectantmothersalloverthecountryatits centre. Wewill fundanadditional 114midwivesannually from 2017 for 4 years as recommended intheStrategy.

Surrogacy and Assisted Human Reproduction: Wewill bring forward legislation to regulate surrogacyand assisted human reproduction services. Inconjunctionwiththelegislationweintendtoprovidepublicfundingforassistedreproductivetreatments.

Cancer Care: Fine Gael wants to bring Ireland tothe top tier of countries when it comes to cancercareandensurethestructuresareinplacetotacklecancer across all regions of the country. Throughthe implementation of the new National CancerStrategy2016-2025,wewillensurethatwehavetheappropriate care pathways to meet this objective.WewillcontinuetheimplementationoftheNationalRadiationOncologyProject.

The8thAmendment:Thisisacomplexandsensitiveissue, about which many people have deeply heldviews. Inthepast, thevariousdebatesonthis issue



EndofLifeCare:Wewillworkwithnon-governmentalorganisationstoimproveinformationandawarenessof end of life services, particularly those whichprovidepeoplewithpalliativecareinthelocationtheychoose.Wewillbringintooperationfurtherhospices,constructionofwhichlocalcommunitieshavefunded,includinginWicklow,Waterford,MayoandKerry.Wewillencouragethedevelopmentofahospice intheMidlandsandNorth-East.

Fit for Work Programme: Working together, theDepartments of Health and Social Protection willpursuea“FitforWorkProgramme”tosupportmorepeopletogetbacktoworkiftheyhaveanillnessordisability.

Dementia Care: Fine Gael published the first everNationalDementiaStrategytoplanforthefuturecareneedsofpeople,provideaccesstotimelydiagnosis,and increase awareness and care supports at localand national level for families. Fine Gael will fullyimplementthisstrategy.

Rehabilitation: We will publish an implementationplanfortheNeuro-RehabilitationStrategyandmovetowardstheprovisionofincreasedrehabilitationandsupportservicesinthecommunity.

vATonDefibrillators:Aswas introduced in theUKin2015,wewillsetasideaspecialfundtohelpbuydefibrillators for public places, including schools.EU rules tieourhands in relation toVAT treatmentofdefibrillatorsbutthisfundwillhelptocoverthosecosts.

have been very bitter and divisive. The outgoingGovernmentwasthefirsttofaceuptoitsresponsibilitiestolegislatefortheconstitutionalposition,asdefinedbytheSupremeCourt.TheProtectionofLifeDuringPregnancy Act provides balanced legal clarity, withappropriateprotectionsandsafeguards.

Someparentsfindthemselvesinverytragicsituationsthatarenot referred to in theexisting legislation. Ifre-elected to Government, Fine Gael will, within sixmonths, establish a new Citizens’ Assembly. ThisAssemblywillprovideanopenan inclusiveprocesstoexaminetheseissuesindetail,andtoestablishifabroadconsensuscanbereachedonfuturechange.

AnyproposalsemergingfromtheCitizens’AssemblywouldthenbeexaminedindetailbytheOireachtas,through an all-party committee with access tothe appropriate medical and legal expertise. Thisresponsible approach will facilitate a respectful andrationaldebateonthesehighlysensitive,andoften,veryemotiveissues.

SpeechandLanguageTherapy:Wewillexamineand,if necessary, reform these services, with a view toensuringearlierinterventionandaccessforfamiliestotheHSE.Inadditiontothis,FineGaelwillinvest€10mby 2021 to fund 217 additional therapists for a newmodel of In-School Speech and Language Therapy,involvingcollaborationbetweenparents,schoolsandprimary care services that has been proven to beeffectiveinternationally.

Rare Diseases: We will advance the quality of careforallpatientswithrarediseasesthrough improvedprogrammesofcareandnewpathwaystoEuropeanCentres.


Fine Gael understands that an increased supply of quality housing is essential for a growing population and for maintaining our economic competitiveness. During a second term of government we will support a sustainable increase in the annual housing output, while ensuring that we never repeat Fianna Fáil’s previous mistakes in this area.

hOME OWNERShIpSupportingHomeOwnership:FineGaelsupportsthedreamsandaspirationsoffamiliestoowntheirownhome.Homeownershippromotesstrongconnectionsto the community and supports local jobs throughupkeepandrenovationwork.

Supporting the Transition to Home Ownership:Since the start of 2016 we have been rolling out atenant purchase scheme to social housing tenants.We will promote this scheme to all eligible tenantsaswebelievethathomeownershipsupportsstablecommunitiesandlocaljobcreation.

Standard variable Rates: We believe increasedcompetition from outside and within the bankingsectoristhebestwaytodrivedownstandardvariablerates.Wewill:

•Establishacodeofconductforswitchingmortgageprovider, administered by the Central Bank, whichshouldinformandencouragemortgageholderstoswitchtomorecompetitivebanks

•Propose a standardised and dedicated switchingform, which will be simple to use and quick toadminister

FrameworktoSupportMortgageHoldersinArrears:Fine Gael established the Insolvency Service ofIreland, a strict set of mortgage arrears resolution

targetsforthebanksandamortgage-to-rentscheme.FineGaelwantstokeeppeopleintheirhomesand,buildingontheprogresswhichhasseenthenumberin mortgage arrears decline for 9 consecutivequarters,wewillcontinuetoadaptandstrengthentheexistingmortgagearrearsframeworkasnecessary.Inaddition, the Money Advice and Budgeting Service(MABS) has been established as a “one-stop shop”pointofinformationandguidanceforhomeownersinmortgagearrears,withadedicatedmortgagearrearsserviceinkeylocationsandwithnationwidecoverage.

Wewillalsointroduceanewschemetohelppeoplewhoare insolvent,and inmortgagearrearsontheirhome,toaccessindependentexpertfinancialandlegaladvice.Thisschemewillofferveryimportantsupportandhopetopeopleingenuinefinancialdistressandanxiety,whocan’taffordthehelptheyneed.MABSwillbethegatewaytothisschemeandwillarrangeforadviceandrepresentationfromapersonalinsolvencypractitioner,aspecialisedMABSadviser,orasolicitor,asneeded.

SuSTAINAbLE CONSTRuCTIONNeverRepeatingFiannaFáil’sMistakes:Thelessonsof the boom and bust have been painfully learnt.There will be no return to Fianna Fáil’s light-touchregulation which has trapped thousands of families

16.housing



secondterm,FineGaelwillcontinuetodealwiththeremainingunfinishedhousingdevelopments.

SOCIAL AND AFFORDAbLE hOuSINGAFairSocialHousingSystem:FineGaelwillprovideover 110,000 social housing units by 2020, throughthe delivery of 35,000 new units and meeting thehousingneedsofsome75,000householdsthroughthe Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and RentalAccommodation Scheme (RAS). These measureswilladdresstheneedsofhouseholdsonthehousingwaiting list, while also providing some flexibility forincreaseddemand.

Wewillalsoreview,in2016,thedisparatesystemofdifferentiatedrentsnationallytoensurethathousingsupports,includingtheHAP,arefairandsustainable,andprioritisethoseonthelowestincomes.

AffordableHousing:FineGaelwillworkwithhousingassociationstodevelopacostrentaloptionforlow-income families.Cost rentalwill help tokeep rentalcostsmanageablefortenantsandavoidfuturerentalincreaseshocks.ThecostrentalmodelwillalsoallowtheStatetoavoidthelevelofexposuretoincreasingmarket rents that has driven up the cost of rentsupplementandothersimilarsupportsforlow-incometenantsinprivaterentedaccommodation.

TaxReliefforLandlords:FineGaelhasreintroducedenhanced tax relief for landlords who accept rentsupplementandHAPtenantsandwillmaintainthisinasecondtermofgovernment,inordertoincentiviselandlordstotakerentsupplementandHAPtenants.

pROTECTING RENTERSExpanding the Range of Protections for Renters:FineGaelwillpromoteabetterbalanceofrightsandprotectionsfortenantsandlandlords, inrecognitionthattherulesgoverningthesectorhavenotkeptpacewithdevelopmentsinhousing.Wewillachievethisbyfullyimplementinganumberofreformsintheprivaterentedsector.Theseinclude:

•IntroducingaDepositRetentionScheme,whichwillbecomeoperationalby2017

•Anincreaseintherelevantnoticeperiodtocomplianttenants in the event of a rent increase or a leasetermination

innegativeequity in substandardhomes.FineGaelwillsupportabalancedrecoveryintheconstructionofnewhomeswhichmaintainsnewhigh standardswhileencouragingnewdevelopment.

IncreasingHomeBuilding:TomeethousingdemandFineGaelwillsupportanincreaseintheannualhousingoutput toasustainable levelof25,000by2021.Aspartofthisgoal,wewillsupportNAMAtodeliverontheirtargetof20,000residentialunitsbeforetheendof2020.

Investing Strategically: Fine Gael will improve theavailabilityoffinancefornewhomeconstruction,witha€500mjointventuretofinancethebuildingof11,000newhomesthroughtheIrelandStrategicInvestmentFund(ISIF).WewillsupporttheISIFtoencouragethedelivery of housing-related enabling infrastructurein large-scale priority development areas. We willalso examine the possibility of introducing newcompetitivefunding,wherelocalauthoritiescanbidtodeliveradvancedlocalinfrastructuralprojects.

Improving Planning and Development: Fine Gaelwill encourage immediate development through atargeteddevelopmentcontributionrebateschemeinDublinandCork.Atthesametime,wewilltacklethehoardingoflandbydevelopersbyintroducingavacantsitelevyonservicedlandinurbanareas.Wewillalsostreamlinethelocalplanningprocesswith“useitorloseit”planningpermissions,andtheintroductionofgreaterflexibilityintheStrategicDevelopmentZones.

StudentAccommodation:Wewillamendtheplanningguidelinestosupporttheconstructionofon-campusor near-campus, high-quality, purpose-built studentaccommodationthatcanhelpcontainthegrowthinrents.

New Jobs in Construction: In May 2014, Fine Gaelset a target of creating 60,000 new constructionjobs.Todateapproximately20,000newconstructionjobs have been created and we are confident thatthe target of 40,000 will be delivered in the nextgovernmentterm.

GhostEstates:Oneof theworst legaciesofFiannaFáil’s time in government was the huge number ofunfinishedor“ghost”estates leftdottedaroundthecountryasaresultofthepropertybubblethattheirpolicies fuelled. Since coming to power, we havereduced the number of such estates from nearly3,000 in2010 to668by theendof2015.Duringa


•The introduction of a time-limited measure thatchangestheprovisionsaroundrentreviewssothatinsteadoftakingplaceevery12months,theyoccurevery 24 months, until the 4th anniversary of themeasure’sintroduction

•Streamlining thepowersof thePrivateResidentialTenancies Board (PRTB) to aid faster decisionmakinginthedisputeresolutionprocesstoaidbothcomplianttenantsandlandlords

SuppORTING hIGh-QuALITy AND AppROpRIATE hOuSINGHousingAdaptationScheme:Keepingpeopleintheirownhomeastheygrowolderoriftheyhaveadisabilityisagoalweaspireto.TheHousingAdaptationgrantsprovidedtolocalauthoritiesareessentialtothisaim.Budget2016increasedthisschemeby10%to€56m,which will see over 8,500 households benefit fromthescheme.Wewillincreasethisschemebyafurther20%to€66mby2021.

PyriteRemediationScheme:FineGaeliscleaningupthemessofFiannaFáil’sbuildingregulatoryfailuresthat destroyed the dreams of many young families.Fine Gael is supporting those affected by pyrite.Weare implementingimprovedcommunicationandreporting systems for residents in affected estates.Wehavesubstantiallyenhancedfundingtoexpediteremediation progress and we will continue to workwith those in pyrite-affected homes until the issueis resolved. In a second term we are committed tofunding and supporting the Pyrite RemediationScheme.

HomeRenovationScheme:FineGaelhasextendedthe attractive and successful Home RenovationSchemetotheendof2016.

Enhancing Local Authority Building Inspections:Wewillreviewexistingbuildingregulationsandlocalauthority inspection powers in order to enhancecompliancewithplanningpermissions.

hOMELESSNESSEnding Homelessness: Fine Gael will end the needfor rough sleeping. In addition we will implement ahousing-focused strategy to end involuntary long-termhomelessness.Thecurrenthousingsituation ischallenging,butprogressisbeingmadewithpeopleexiting emergency accommodation into sustainedtenancyarrangements.

Tackling Homelessness: One human cost of thelegacyofboomandbusthousingdevelopmentisthenumberofpeoplewithoutahome.Itisnotacceptablethat in 2016 we have families living in emergencyaccommodation. A key priority for Fine Gael is toboost affordable housing supply that will stem thetide of homelessness for low-income families. Toachievethiswewill:

•Ensurethatthereisnoneedforroughsleepingbyproviding emergency beds and accommodationoptions and by supporting the Merchants QuayNight Café, which provides spaces on a night-to-night basis for persons that do not enter existingsupportedaccommodationprogrammes

•Deliver35,000newsocialhouses

•Provide500modularhousingunits,asemergencyaccommodation,forhomelessfamilies

•Return unnecessarily vacant social housing unitsto use (almost 5,000 void units were returned toproductiveuseinthepast2years)

•Maintain a high level of support for homelessservices,whichisup56%since2014

•Maintain and promote the Tenancy SustainmentProtocol, operating in conjunction with ThresholdintheDublinandCorkCityareas,whichcontinuestoprovidesupporttopersonsinurbanareaswheresupply pressures are most acute. This flexibleapproach has already assisted almost 6,000 rentsupplementhouseholdsthroughoutthecountrytoretaintheirrentedaccommodation

•Maintain the rent limits available under the HAPHomelessPilotto50%abovetherentsupplementlevels


Thelast4yearshaveproventhatwiththerightpolicymixbehindit,Irishenterprisecandeliverperformancetomatchtheseambitions.Thekeynowistotakethosepoliciestothenextlevelandkeepthisrecoverygoing.FineGaelisdeterminedtodoso,byimplementingarangeofstrategiesacrossthreebroadfronts.Wewill:

•Support a leap forward in the capacity andperformanceofourenterprisesector

•Build a competitive edge, both nationally andregionally,thatwilldriveourexport-ledrestructuringoftheeconomy

•Excelingettingthebasicsright,anddeliverajob-fitbusinessenvironmentwhichranksinthetoptierglobally

A LEAp FORWARD FOR ENTERpRISEEnterprise will be at the heart of our economicstrategy.Global leadingexport-oriented sectorswillbeaprerequisite,butvibrantandinnovativedomesticsectorswillbeessentialtosustainourambitions.FineGaelwilldriveforwardthedeliveryofthestrategiesof the IDA, EI, SFI and LEOs to grow Ireland’sexport market share in diverse markets, sectorsandtechnologies.Atthesametimewewilldevelop

and implement a strategy to build sectoral clustersnationallyandregionallywhichembedasustainablecompetitiveadvantage.

€4BillionFutureJobs InvestmentFund: TomatchthescaleofambitioninourLongTermEconomicPlantocreateanadditional200,000sustainablejobsby2020, and taking full advantage of the favourabletreatmentofcapitalinvestmentunderthefiscalrules,FineGaelwilluse€1bnof thefiscalspaceavailableby 2021 to fund an additional €4bn in total capitalinvestmentoverthe5-yearperiod2017-21.Thefundswillbering-fencedforanewFutureJobsInvestmentFundtofuture-prooftheeconomyandourjobsplanagainstrisingglobalrisksandchallenges.

As part of the annual Action Plan for Jobs (APJ),the additional capital funding will be allocated byGovernmentonacompetitivebasistopublicbodiesand public / private collaborations with credibleinitiativesthatbestaddressthesenationalchallenges.ThatmeansthattheFundwillbeusedeachyearinsupportoftheAPJtohelpdeliveronspecific,high-impactmeasures ineachPlan so that the targetofsustainablefullemploymentby2020canbeachieved.

Action Plan for Jobs: Fine Gael will continueto implement the APJ, which has been strongly

Jobs will remain Fine Gael’s top priority. Our Long Term Economic Plan sets out our overriding target of sustainable full employment, with the aim of adding 200,000 extra jobs between 2016 and 2020. It also sets crucial targets across the enterprise sector for improved performance across all key dimensions.

17.Jobs, Enterprise and Regional Growth



jobs will remain fine gael’s top priority. our long term economic Plan sets out our overriding target of sustainable full employment, with the aim of adding 200,000 extra jobs between 2016 and 2020.



welcomedbyindustryandinternationalorganisationsandhasbeendescribedbytheOECDas“animportantinnovationinIrishgovernance.”Wewillbroadenandfurtherembedit,inasecondterm,by:

•Focusing the APJ process on the delivery of theambitionsofourLongTermEconomicPlan

•Ensuring that the implementation of regionalstrategies is backed up by integration intowider national decision-making processes andinfrastructuralpriorities

•Bringingleadersofenterpriseintothekeynationalimplementation group to act as catalysts forcontinuinginnovation

•Inviting the National Competitiveness Council toevaluate the impact of key national strategies –on talent, on innovation, on entrepreneurship, onPathwaystoWorkandonregionalimplementation

•Establishing a Long Term Economic Plan DeliveryUnitwithintheDepartmentofAnTaoiseachthatwillcoordinatetheAPJacrossGovernment

Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs): Enterprise Ireland(EI) will support the LEO network to develop theirowncapacityandtheirrangeofpolicytools,togrowtheir base of start-ups and small businesses. It willencouragegreaterscopeforlocalinnovationandthebuild-outofasupportingenterprisenetworkineverycounty.WewanttoseeIrelandbecomeaEuropeanleaderinthenumberofstart-upsandintheirsurvivalandgrowth–facilitatedbybettermentoring,fundingmodels,acceleratorsandbusinessspace.Tothisendwewillensurethatthestandardofservicedeliveredis consistent across the country and that any SMEor prospective SME that visits its LEO will receivehigh-qualitymentoring,supportandseamlessaccesstothewiderrangeofEIsupportsforhigh-potentialenterprises.

EqualisingTax:Wewillcontinuetoimprovethetaxoffer to small business and reduce and ultimatelyeliminate thehistorical incometaxdiscrepancy thatexistsbetweenPAYEworkersandtheself-employedby2018.

Training and Development: We will ensure thatexisting enterprises get the opportunity to improvetheir capability and to step up to a new level –facilitated by training in the areas of management,new lean processes, innovation, and accessing newmarkets. We will also commit extra resources tomentoring, inorder tohelpSMEs tomaximise their

potential.Aspartofthiscommitment,wewillensurethatsmallbusinessescanaccesstheNationalTrainingFundformanagementtraining.

Productivity and Performance: We will initiate astrategy to systematically improve productivity andperformance in critical sectors of the non-tradingsectors of the economy, including construction,logistics, security and digital markets. Our actionswould address barriers to entry, weaknesses incapacity skills or management, and examine theadoptionofnewtechnologiesandprocesses

Succession:AspartofourcommitmenttosupportingdevelopmentandmentoringintheSMEsector,wewillincreaseawarenessoftheimplicationsofsuccessionandof thebenefitsof successionplanning for theirbusiness.

AMulti-SectoralJobsPlan:OurLongTermEconomicPlanwill focuson jobcreationacross theeconomy.Aspartofthisplan,wehaveidentifiedspecificjobstargetsacrossarangeofsectors.Theseincludeagri-food, international financial services, construction,tourism, and the various maritime sectors. Furtherdetail is provided in each of the relevant manifestochapters.

buILDING A COMpETITIvE EDGEWe want to see Ireland consistently feature in thetop 3 small countries in the world in the relevantcompetitivenessrankingsandtodosobydeliveringmeasurable improvements against internationalbenchmarksinrespectof:

•Efficientresourceuse(e.g.power,airports,fuel,andbroadband)

•Marketaccess(e.g.portsandairports)

•Finance(e.g.seedandventurecapital,equity,andnewformsofnon-bankcredit)

•Taxation (e.g. on work, entrepreneurship andinnovation)

•Ease of doing business (e.g. permits and waitingtimes)

Export-Led Growth: The previous Fianna Fáilled government destroyed Ireland’s internationalcompetitiveness, and instead built up an economyaroundanunsustainablepropertybubbletotryandpaperoverthecracks.Thisiswhyourjobscrashwassoswiftandsoviolent.


planningthroughtheOECD’sBaseErosionandProfitShifting(BEPS)initiative.

Developing and Retaining Talent: Fine Gael isdeterminedtodeliverastepchangeinourcapacitytoeducate,develop,deployandretaintalent.Nationalandregionaltargetsforcriticalskillprovisionwillbeset and competitive funding models will encouragetheirdeliveryinpartnershipwithenterprise.Thiswillbeessentialtokeepupwiththedisruptiveimpactofnewtechnology.Inordertoachievethiswewill:

•Createfinancialincentivesforthethirdlevelsystemtorespondtoskillsgaps

•Inviteindustrytopartnerinthedeliveryelementsofthecurriculaatthirdandfourthlevels

•Createastrongsystemforthedeliveryandrenewalofskillsinnewlyemergingtechnicalareas(includingapprenticeships, traineeships, and in serviceprogression)

InnovatingtoDriveGrowth:FineGaelwillimplementInnovation2020,Ireland’s5-yearstrategyforresearchanddevelopment,scienceandtechnology.Aspartofthisstrategy,andtocontinuetodrivegrowthwewillneed todevelopclusterswhichwill allowus togetearlymoveradvantagefrominnovationandemergingtechnologies.Thiswillrequireustobetteralignpublicandprivatesourcesofinvestmentinresearch.Thiswillbecrucial in reachingouroverallgoalof increasingpublic and private investment in research anddevelopment(R&D)to2.5%ofGNPby2020.Thiswillamounttoanalmostdoublingofcurrentlevelsofinvestment.Aspartofthis,€1.25bninfundingwillbedrawndownfromtheEUHorizon2020programme.Wewillalsodevelopoursystemsofdataprotection,copyrightandpatentprotection in suchaway thatallowsenterpriseand innovation to thrivewithinanenvironmentthatgivesrobustprotectiontocitizens

Aspartof the samealignmentbetweenpublicandprivate, we will open up the scope for enterpriseto deliver innovation to the public sector, both inroutineworkandthroughgrandchallenges.Wewillalso ensure that the Knowledge Development Boxelementofourcorporationtaxsystemsupportstheresearchanddevelopmentobjectivesof indigenousIrishcompanies.

Wewillsetourselvesanumberofinnovation-specificgoals,including:

•Delivering a 60% placement rate from researchcentrestoenterprise

In contrast, Fine Gael’s plan to achieve fullemploymentby2020,andtosustain it, isbasedongrowingemploymentbroadly,acrossallsectorsofoureconomy.OftheadditionaljobsourPlanwilldeliverby2020,approximately50%willbeinexportsectors.

As part of this, government-supported, Irish-ownedcompanies will grow exports by 40%, or €10bn, by2020, by driving client companies to target newmarkets, and by increasing the value of sales inexistingmarkets.ThiswillhelpgrowemploymentinEIcompaniesby32,000by2020.Overthesameperiod,the IDA will generate over 1,000 new investmentsthatwillhelpgrowemploymentinIDAcompaniesby42,000.

Thisistheonlywaytoensureasustainablejobs-ledrecoverywheregrowthisbasedonmakingandsellinghigh-quality services and products overseas ratherthanbuildingandsellingpropertyamongourselves.

A New Independent Competitiveness andProductivity Commission of Ireland: Buildingon our reform of the National CompetitivenessCouncil (NCC), and responding to the 2015 OECDrecommendations regarding developing a strongerwhole-of-governmentproductivityagenda,togetherwith expanding the remit of the NCC into a moreproductivity-focused body, Fine Gael will transformthe NCC into the Competitiveness and ProductivityCommissionofIreland(CPCI).

TheCommission’sremitwillbeto:

•Advise the Taoiseach and Government on how tomaintaincompetitivenessanddevelopproductivity-enhancingprogrammes

•Independently assess, and comment publicly on,whetherpolicyactionsandinitiativesareconsistentwithmaintainingIreland’scompetitiveness

•ProducereliableindependentevidenceonthecostsofdoingbusinessinIrelandandbenchmarkIreland’scompetitivenessperformance

•ProvideasetofrecommendationstoGovernment,including a submission to the APJ, which will beconsidered by Government within 6 weeks ofsubmission

CorporationTax:FineGaeldefendedourcorporationtax regime throughout the financial crisis and wearecommittedtomaintainingthe12.5%rateintothefuture.Wewillcontinuetoworkwithourinternationalpartners in tackling aggressive international tax



•Creatingnewmodelsofcollaborativeresearch

•Establishinganewadvancedmanufacturingresearchandtrainingfacility

•IntroducinganewtieredInnovationVoucherschemeforSMEsthatwouldhelptobothgenerateideasandcommercialisethem,throughcollaborationbetweenthebusinessandtheacademiccommunity

•Doublinginvestmentinpubliclyperformedresearch

•Increasing the number of research personnel inenterprisefrom25,000to40,000

•Selectinganumberof“grandchallenges”whichwefaceasasocietywithrespecttowhichacompetitivecallfrommixedpublic/privateconsortiawouldbesought

Building Competitive Regions: Fine Gael isimplementing the eight regional Action Plans forJobs, and has allocated €250m to a fund to helpspreadgrowthtoallareas.TheDepartmentofJobs,Enterprise and Innovation will oversee the deliveryand implementation of each regional Action Plan.Competitivefundingcallswillcontinuetoensuretheideaswiththegreatestimpactonjobsandenterprisewillgetfunding.

TheActionPlanswillbepartofanoverall strategy,aimed at ensuring that the unemployment rate ineveryregioniswithin1%ofthenationalaverage.Eachplanseekstoincreaseemploymentbyapproximately15%by2020and includestargetsto increasestart-upsby25%andIDAinvestmentsby30-40%.

The €250m in funding available for the Plan willallow the IDA invest in ten additional advancedmanufacturingandofficefacilitiesinregionalcentresandforEItoinviteregionstocompetefor€50-60minfundingforlocallydevelopedenterpriseprojects.

We will also reinforce the role of the WesternDevelopmentCommission(WDC),sothatitsupportsthe implementation of the Regional EnterprisestrategiesintheWestandNorth-West.Aspartofthis,theWDCwillbegivenaspecificmandatetostimulatethedevelopmentofenterprisenetworksinthesetworegions and to stimulate innovative approaches todevelopment.Thiswillbuildontherecentallocationof €2m in additional funding to support regionaleconomicdevelopmentintheWestofIreland,whichtheWDCwilladministeracrossanumberofeconomicdevelopmentprojects.

Red-TapeReduction:Administrativeburdensact asadragontheeconomicrecoveryandFineGaelwill

targeta€1bn reduction in thecostof the red tapeduring the course of the next government. To thisend,wewillestablishaHighLevelGrouponBusinessRegulation,withanindependentchairperson.

Smart Regulation: We will also step up the use ofimpact assessments of legislative proposals acrossGovernment. We will publish new guidelines,taking account of the latest EU and OECD smartregulationpractices.Ascreeningimpactassessment,at a minimum, will have to accompany all primarylegislationandsignificantsecondarylegislation.

ShelteredSectorsoftheEconomy:FineGaelstandsaloneastheonlypartypreparedtoshinealightontheshelteredsectorsoftheeconomy.Webelieveinthe benefits of competition. The new CompetitionandConsumerProtectionCommissionisabeefed-upwatchdog,whichwillhelpprotectconsumers.WewillmonitorthenewCommission’sprogressandaddtoitspowersifnecessary.

ExpertGrouponCommercialRates:WewillestablishanExpertGrouponCommercialRatestoreport,bythe end of 2016, on the feasibility of replacing thecurrent system of local authority commercial rateswith a Site Valuation tax, as recommended by theNationalCompetitivenessCouncil,withtheobjectiveof ensuring fair and affordable rates on businessesand encouraging the development of unused orunderdevelopedpremisesandland.

Inparallel,wewillpressaheadwiththeimplementationoftherecentlypassedValuationAct,whichisdesignedto speed up the cumbersome revaluation process.FineGaelwillcloselymonitoritseffectivenessandwillintroducefurthermeasuresifwedonotseesufficientimprovement.

Wewillalsoinstructallcountycouncilstopublishthebreakdownofhowallcommercialratescollectedarespent, facilitatingcomparisonsacrossdifferent localauthorities. This provision will encourage efficientlocal authorities to adopt commercial rates policiesthathelpsustainexistingbusinessesandencouragenewstart-ups.

REvITALISING ThE MAIN STREETAt a time of falling but still high unemployment, itis critically important that the economic potentialof each region is maximised and that each regionbuilds on its particular strengths and assets toprovide a competitive environment that stimulatesentrepreneurship and attracts investment, both


•Development finance for manufacturing andinternationalservices

•Newformsofexportandtradefinance

•Peer-to-peerlending

Wewill alsoensure that there is carefulmonitoringof the performance of the institutions in this area(suchasMicrofinance IrelandandtheSBCI)sothatwecontinuallyupdateourknowledgeontheneedsofenterprise,astheyemerge,aswemovetodeliverthisambitioustarget.

Small Business Investment Trusts: The introductionofRealEstateInvestmentTrustshasproventobeasuccessful vehicle for investment in the commercialandresidentialpropertymarket.Wewillexploretherole that Small Business Investment Trusts couldplayinIreland.Suchavehiclecouldbeanalternativesource of funding for Irish SMEs and provide smallinvestorswiththeopportunitytoinvestinIrishSMEs.

CapitalGainsTaxReliefforStart-upCompanies:WewillintroduceanewCapitalGainsTaxRelief[Start-UpRelief]tosupportandencouragestart-upsinIreland.Gainsarisingonchargeablebusinessassetsacquiredfromlaterthisyearandheldfor5yearswillbechargedatarateof10%ondisposal,uptoamaximumliabilityof€10m.GainarisingoninvestmentinallEmploymentInvestment Incentive (EII) qualifying companies willbeeligibleforthelowercapitalgainstaxrateof20%,introducedinBudget2016.

Family Businesses: Fine Gael will instruct theDepartmentofFinancetoreview,inadvanceofBudget2017,thetaxbarrierstothelong-termgrowthofIrish-ownedfamilybusinesses,withparticularreferencetothecompetitivenessoftheIrishtaxregimewiththatoftheUKandotheradvancedeconomies.

EqualisingTax:Wewillcontinuetoimprovethetaxoffer to small business and reduce and ultimatelyeliminate thehistorical incometaxdiscrepancy thatexistsbetweenPAYEworkersandtheself-employedby2018.

EducationalInitiatives:Wewillintroduceeducationalinitiatives aimed at encouraging entrepreneurialthinkinginschools,throughoutsecondlevel.Atthirdlevel, we will build on the emerging engagementbetween Enterprise and higher education andencourageuniversities topromoteentrepreneurshipontheirowncampusesandtodevelopcourseofferingswithastrongentrepreneurialcontent.Wewouldalsoprovide support to universities who introduce mid-

indigenous and foreign. Regional strategies thatencourageandfacilitatejobcreationwillalsosupporttheeconomicandsocialfabricofruralareas.

Planning:Wewilllooktointroduceinitiativesthatwillencourage people to live in towns, which will havethe added benefit of guaranteeing footfall for localbusinesses. This may necessitate a re-examinationof thecurrentplanning framework so thatplanningpolicyisalignedmorecloselywithbusinessrealitiesintheseareas.

Employers’ PRSI: To mitigate the impact on jobsandsmallemployersof further, sensible rises in theminimumwageto€10.50perhour,wewillcutthelower8.5%rateofEmployers’PRSIto6.5%andincreasethelowerratethresholdto€426perweek(from€376).We will still be guided by the recommendations oftheLowPayCommissiononthephasinginoftheseminimumwagechangesduringatermofoffice.

OnlineRetailing:Aswellasencouragingmorefootfallin rural townsandvillageswealsounderstand thatasignificantamountofbusinessthesedays isdoneonline. In this context, we will expand the OnlineTrading Voucher Scheme. We will also continue toreviewthevalueofthevouchers,toensurethatsmallbusinessesareabletousethevoucherstoobtaintheexpertisetheyneed.

pROMOTING ENTREpRENEuRShIpFine Gael is a pro-enterprise party and we firmlybelieve that entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of theeconomy.Inasecondterm,wewanttoseeIrelandbecome a European leader in the number of start-ups and in their survival and growth. Similarly, wewanttoseecontinuedgrowthintheimportantsocialenterprisesector.Wewillachievethesegoalsthroughanumberofnewandinnovativeapproaches.

AccesstoFinance:Accesstofinancewillbeabsolutelycritical to realising our ambition that Ireland willbecome a leading country for start-ups and thatourenterpriseswillmoreeasilyprogressincapacityand scale. To achieve this, we need to deliver €1bnperyearfromnewcommercialsourcesoffinancetosupplementnormalbankofferingstoSMEs.

Such an ambitious goal will require a mixture ofsourcesandinclude:

•Newformsofequity

•Mid-sizeinvestmentrounds



degree “sandwich year” courses, whereby studentsspend their third year of university working for anIrish business. Such an initiative would be mutuallybeneficial for both students and businesses. Thiscommitmenttoentrepreneurialeducationwillalsobeseeninoursupportformentoringandotherformsoftraininganddevelopment for start-upsandexistingSMEs.

Female Entrepreneurship: Fine Gael has sought toincreasefemaleentrepreneurshipthroughanumberoftargetedinitiatives,suchastheACORNprogramme,which supportsearly stage femaleentrepreneurs inruralIreland.WearedeterminedtobuildonthelatestEIfigures,whichshowasignificantincreaseinfemaleparticipationinentrepreneurship.Aspartofthis,oneofthekeyactionsofActionPlanforJobs(APJ)2016willbetofundlocallydeliveredcoursesforwomenwhichwillcompriseaseriesoftrainingopportunitiesonself-developmentandwork-relatedskillstoassistareturntothelabourmarketandpromoteentrepreneurship.

Increasing Awareness of Supports Available:Government surveys have consistently shown thatthemajorityofSMEsareunawareofthesupportsthatareavailable.ItisforthisreasonthattheGovernmentlaunchedtheSMEOnlineTool,tohelpIrishstart-upsandsmallbusinessesnavigatetheover80governmentbusiness supports that theycouldbeeligible for. Inthe next term of government we will both increaseawareness levels of the supports available andcontinually improve theusabilityof theOnlineTool,sothatitworkswiththeefficiencyandefficacySMEsexpectfromtheirownbusinesses.

WORKpLACE RELATIONS FineGaelwillcontinuetopromotequalityworkplacesasthekeytoinnovationandimprovinglivingstandardsthroughdeliveryofquickandeffectiveresolutionofworkplacedisputes.Wewillalsointroducebalancedimprovementsinworkingconditionsconsistentwithourfullemploymentambition.

FineGaelhasworkedtoimproveemploymentrightsforallworkers ina fairandbalancedway.Wehaveintroducednumerouschangeswhichhaveimprovedemploymentrights,inparticular:

•Re-establishingtheJointLabourCommitteesonasoundconstitutionalbasis

•Putting temporary agency workers on an equalfootingwithpermanentworkers

•Enactinglawsoncollectivebargaining

•Introducingaschemetoprotectmigrantworkersinthefishingindustry

EmploymentRightsAct:FollowingthemergeroftheEmployment Rights and Industrial Relations bodiesinto the Workplace Relations Commission, the nextstep is to enact an Employment Rights Act whichwillconsolidateallprimaryandsecondarylegislationdealing with employment rights into a single act.Thiswill improvecomplianceandmake iteasier forbothemployeesandemployers tounderstand theirrespectiverightsandobligationsandalsoreducetheneedforexpensivelegaladvice.

Public Service Disputes: Fine Gael will remove allindividual public sector industrial relations disputesfrom the Civil Service Conciliation and Arbitrationscheme.Suchdisputeswill infuturebeheardbyanAdjudication Officer of the Workplace RelationsCommission and on appeal to the Labour Court.Thiswillbringan increased levelof transparencytoindustrial relations disputes within the civil service,withallLabourCourtdecisionsbeingpublished.

university of Limerick (uL) Report on Zero HourContracts:FineGaelwillconsidertheULReportonZeroHourContracts.Wewillrespondtotheproposalsputforwardinabalancedway,takingintoaccounttheviewsthatwereexpressedinthepublicconsultationwhichhasbeenundertaken.

CONSuMER RIGhTSFine Gael will enact a Consumer Rights Bill whichwill be the most far-reaching reform of ConsumerProtectionfordecades.ThisBillwillincludeabanonexpirydatesforgiftcardsandaright,forthefirsttime,tohaveasubstandardserviceremediedorrefunded.


Civilianisation:FollowingrecommendationsfromtheGardaInspectorate,FineGaelwillfundtherecruitmentof at least 300 more civilian staff to non-frontlineadministrative and analyst positions. These reformswillfreeup300swornGardaíforfrontlinepolicinginthecommunity.

Gardavehicles:FineGaelwillinvest€46m,aspartoftherecentlyannouncedCapitalPlan,inapproximately1,700 new vehicles, including patrol cars and high-powered vehicles, to ensure Gardaí are visible andresponsive and to ensure enforcement of the RoadTrafficlaws.WewillalsoinvestinmoremountainbikessoGardaícanbevisibleandmobileinurbanareas.

Doubling the Garda Reserve: We will double thenumberofReservesto2,200andwewillreviewthedeploymentandtasksassignedtoReservestobettersupporttheprovisionofvisiblefrontlinepolicing.

TacklingGanglandCrime:FineGaelwillnottolerategangland crime. A dedicated new Armed SupportUnit for Dublin will be established, comprising 55Gardaí.Thisnewunitwilloperate inadditiontotheEmergencyResponseUnit (ERU).Thenewunitwillbuildoninterimarmedresponsemeasurescurrentlybeing rolled-out by the ERU and other units. Wewill ensure sufficient resources (including staffing,overtime and high-powered vehicles) are provided

Fine Gael will continue to strengthen and updateIreland’slawstotacklenewandemergingcrimetrends.WewillalsocontinuetoworkwithGardamanagementand the Policing Authority to implement reformsthat will provide greater confidence, protection,transparency and efficiency to crime reduction,detectionandprosecution,acrossourcountry.

AN GARDA SíOCháNAFineGaeliscommittedtothedeliveryofaneffective,visible and responsive policing service, to preventand pursue crime and to protect our communities,bothruralandurban.WeendedthemoratoriumonGarda recruitment, reopened the Garda College inTemplemoretonewrecruitsandhaveinvestedover€34min1,300newGardavehiclessince2012.

Recruiting More Gardaí: Fine Gael is committed totherecruitmentof600newGardarecruitsperannum.This will bring Garda numbers to approximately14,000 by 2021, an increase of approximately1,500 after retirements are taken into account. Thisadditional recruitmentwill allow formoreGardaí tobeappointedtodetectiverolestohelpincreasecrimedetection,totackleseriouscrime,includingburglariesandganglandcrime;andtoprotectourState.

Fine Gael’s priority is protecting our citizens by reducing crime through significant investment in An Garda Síochána, the creation of a more efficient legal system and a tough sentencing approach to offenders.

18.Justice, Crime and Law Reform



we ended the moratorium on garda recruitment, reopened the garda College in templemore to new recruits and have invested over €34m in 1,300 new garda vehicles since 2012.


to support the work of the both the Garda ArmedResponse Units and the new Garda Drugs andOrganisedBureau,whichwasestablishedin2015.

Technologyfor21stCenturyPolicing:Wehave,intheCapitalPlan,committedtothemostcomprehensiveupgradeeverofGardatechnologyandICTsystems.Thiswillensureimprovedresponsetimes,enhancedmanagement of criminal investigations, and lesspaperworksoGardaícanspendmoretimeonfrontlinecommunitypolicing.ThiswillfacilitatetheintegrationofGarda,CourtandDriverLicensing IT systemsonroadtrafficoffencesandsupportinvestmentinCCTValongtheroadnetworkandinurbancentres.

Modernising Garda Stations: We are committedto ensuring Gardaí have fit-for-purpose facilitiesnationwide.Aspartofthis,wehavecommittedfundingtorefurbishordevelop32locationsnationwide.

GardaOversightandReform:FineGaelfullysupportsthenewPolicingAuthorityasthenewpublicoversightbodyforpolicinginIreland.TheGardaInspectorate’sin-depth report is far reaching, and will involve arestructuring of An Garda Síochána, as it faceschangingcriminalactivitiesandtrendsintothefuture.Building on the report’s recommendations, we willworkwithGardamanagement,thePolicingAuthority,andstaffrepresentativebodiestoimplementagreedreformsintheareasofcivilianisationandinrosteringandstructure.

Protecting Gardaí, Prison Staff and FrontlineEmergency Workers: We will strengthen the lawandimplementongoingmeasurestoprotectGardaí,prison staff and frontline emergency workers frominjury,includingfromtherammingofvehicles.

WorkingwithCommunities,BusinessesandFarmers:WewillsupporttheestablishmentofGardaBusinessForainurbancentrestoallowGardaíandbusinessesto work together to improve public safety, ensurea safe night-time economy and respond to crimesagainstbusinesses,suchasshoplifting.WewillensurethelawsandresourcesareinplacetosupportGardaíto protect agricultural communities and to tackleruralcrime,suchasthetheftoffarmmachineryandlivestock.

TACKLING RuRAL CRIMEPatrolling Rural Communities: Fine Gael hascommitted€46mforapproximately1,700newGardavehiclesintheCapitalPlanandwewillensurethesenewvehiclesareallocatedtoprovideeffective,mobileand visible policing of rural communities. Havingended themoratoriumonGarda recruitment,madeourcommitmentto600GardarecruitsperyearandplansforGardareform,wewillensurethatdedicatedCommunity Teams are operating in all areas of theState,includingruralcommunities.

TacklingCriminalGangs:WewillprovideGardaíwiththe resources necessary to tackle mobile criminalgangs operating in rural communities. We willcontinue to ensure adequate overtime is availablefor special operations to tackle criminal gangs. WewillalsocompleteareviewofeffectivenessofGardaCCTV with a view to investing in effective systemsthat are proven to help in tackling crime including,whereappropriate,atmotorwayjunctions.

Extending Text Alert and Neighbourhood Watch:We have doubled funding for community crimeprevention.Wewillcontinuetoworkwithcommunitygroups to extend Text Alert and NeighbourhoodWatchschemesinruralcommunities.

SECuRING ThE STATEThe preservation of security and peace on thisislandisacorepriority.WewillcontinuetosupportAnGardaSíochánaand theDefenceForcesand tocooperate internationally to respond to all threatsofextremismandwewillsupportalleffortstocrackdownonparamilitaryanddissidentactivity.Wewillincrease the capacity of the Army Ranger Wingandofspecialoperationforces,toassist inmeetingemergingchallengesinallenvironments.

Security Review: While Ireland’s current capacityto respond to security challenges is robust, theinternationalsecurityenvironmentisrapidlychanging.Fine Gael is committed to completing within 12months a core structural review of decision-makingarrangementsacross thecommonareasof securityanddefence.ThiswillbeledbytheDepartmentofAn



by introducing new measures, including pre-trialhearings.TheDepartmentofJusticewillcommissionanannualstudyoncourtefficiencyandcourtsittingtimes,withinternationalbenchmarks.WewillpublishitsfirstreportbyMarch2017.Wewillalsoinstigateafullreviewoftherulesfordisclosureandevidence.Wewillalsointroducecourtreformstomoresensitivelyfacilitatechildrengivingevidence.

ACompetitiveLegalServicesIndustry:Wewillensurethatthepublicandbusinessseethebenefitsofrecentreform.Inordertoachievethis,anumberofstepswillbe taken.For instance, thenewOfficeof theLegalCosts Adjudicator will make their determinationspublicandFineGaelwillcontinuetodrivemeasurestoreducelegalfees.Wewillalso:

•Resource the Legal Services Regulatory AuthorityandthenewsingleDisciplinaryTribunalforsolicitorsandbarristerstoprovideindependentandeffectiveoversightofthelegalprofession

•Deliveraneffectiveindependentpubliccomplaintsprocedure that will be backed up by a legalpractitioners’ disciplinary tribunal to deal withsolicitorsandbarristers

•Promotetherolloutofnewbusinessmodelsforlegalpractitionersandsupportthefutureestablishmentofnewmulti-disciplinarypractices

•Supportthedevelopmentofaspecialistconveyancingprofession, with appropriate regulations andstandards

These reformswill allowuspursueopportunities tomaximise the international economic potential ofIreland’slegalservicesandarbitrationservices.

Tackling Insurance Costs: We will task theDepartmentsofJusticeandofJobs,EnterpriseandInnovation with reviewing the framework for injuryclaims, and the effectiveness of the Injuries Board,with theambitionofdiscouraging fraudulentclaimsandloweringpremiumsforlaw-abidingmotorists.

EstablishingaNewFamilyCourt:Wewillestablishadedicated Family Courts system within the District,CircuitandHighCourts,anddevelopanewstate-of-the-artFamilyandChildren’sCourtcomplexinDublin.

PromotingMediation:WewillenactanewMediationBill and introduce new models of non-adversarialmediation.

TaoiseachwithinputfromtheDepartmentofJustice,who have lead responsibility in this area, togetherwiththeDepartmentofDefenceandother relevantdepartments.

Disrupting Cross-Border Crime: We will supportbothAnGardaSíochánaandtheplannednewJointAgency Task Force to implement co-coordinatedfrontline interagencyoperationsaimedatdisruptingcross-borderorganisedcrimeand fuel and tobaccosmuggling.Wewillalsoseektodisruptenvironmentalcrimeandmobileorganisedcrimegangsandimprovecross-borderassetsrecovery.FineGaelwillcontinuetosupportalleffortstocrackdownonparamilitaryanddissidentactivity.

Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB): We will ensure thatadequateresourcesareprovidedtosupporttheworkofCABintacklingmoneylaunderingandtotargettheproceedsofcrime.

Information Sharing: We will implement theSchengen II information-sharing IT system, in ordertoenhancethepolicingofentrypointstotheState,and to support Gardaí in detecting and preventingsuspected, dangerous and wanted criminals orprospectiveterroristsfromenteringthecountry.

AN ACCESSIbLE AND EFFICIENT LEGAL SySTEMFine Gael has implemented comprehensive reformsto the Courts system and regulation of the legalprofessions, including a new Court of Appeal andreformed legal services to reduce delays in courtproceedings.These reformswill supportequalityofaccesstojusticeforall.Wewillcontinueourreformingagenda in this regard as we place victims and ourwidersocietyattheheartofthejusticesystem.

Prioritising victims: We will strengthen the rightsof victims of crime and their families, throughimplementation of the EU Victims Directive andprovideforarightofaccessforvictimstoinformationand protection. We will continue to develop victimsupportservices,includingtheGardaVictimSupportOffices,andenhancesupportservices intheCourtssystem.

An Effective Courts System: Fine Gael will reduceexcessive delays to trials and court proceedings


SafeguardingIntellectualProperty(IP)andPatentsRights:Wewillprovide improvedandcost-efficientaccessforSMEsandindividualstotheCourtsincasesof IP disputes, including holding a referendum onIreland’sparticipationintheUniversalPatentCourt.

Reforming the Coroner System: We will enactlegislationtoupdatetheoperationofIreland’scoronersystem.

Standards in Justice: We will establish the plannedJudicial Council. We will review Inspectorate andOmbudsman arrangements across the justice anddetention systems, to ensure effectiveness in thehandlingofcomplaintsandcompliancewithnationalandinternationalstandards.

SENTENCING AND REpEAT OFFENDING Communities and victims must be confidentthat crimes against them will be prosecuted andappropriate sentences handed out. Fine Gael hasbeen tough on repeat offenders and will continueto focuson toughpenalties for reoffending,aswellason initiatives to reduce reoffending. Inparticular,wearecommittedtoengagingwithyoungoffenderswithalternativelifechoicesthanprogressiontocareercriminality. By adopting a differentiated approachto sentencing we can reduce repeat offending andreducecrimeoverall.

Tougher Sentences for Serious and RepeatOffenders:Weintroducedtoughersentencestokeeprepeatburglarsoffthestreets.Ournextsteptocrackdownoncrimeistointroducelegislationtowidentherangeofseriouscrimecategoriesforrepeatoffenderswhocanreceivethesetoughersentences.WewillalsoresourcetheCourts,particularlytheCircuitCourt,todeal with increased non-summary prosecutions ofseriouscrimes.

Targeting young Repeat Offenders: Fine Gael willintroduceatargetednewinitiative, involvingGardaí,Tuslaandotheragencies,tomoreeffectivelydealwiththose prolific youth offenders who are responsibleforalargeproportionofyouthcrimeandforwhomtraditionalYouthDiversionhasnotworked.

Strengthening Bail Laws: Fine Gael will enact newlegislation to provide stricter bail terms for repeatserious offenders, to strengthen Garda powers to

dealwithbreachesofbail,andtoincreasetheuseofcurfews.

ElectronicTagging:FineGaelwillintroduceelectronictaggingofthoseonbail,whererequestedbyGardaí,toreducetheriskofreoffending.

EndingAutomaticRemission:Wewillintroducenewsystems of earned remission and make increaseduse of community return, including a requirementfor participation in supervised community serviceand provision for immediate re-committal to prisonforreoffending.WewillplacetheParoleBoardonastatutory,independentfooting.

Community Sanctions for Minor Offences: We willincreasetheuseofsupervisedcommunitysanctionsfor non-violent and minor offences, including theuseofpart-suspendedordeferredsentenceswhichensurethereisaforfeitpenaltyofimprisonmentforreoffending.

Supervising Prolific Offenders Post-Release: FineGaeliscommittedtostrengtheningthesupervisionofprolificrepeatoffendersaftertheyhaveservedtheirprisonsentence,toreducetheriskofreoffending.

Restorative Justice and Community Intervention:Fine Gael will introduce a new Community JusticeInterventionschemetodealwithpersistent,low-leveladultoffenders,todivertthemfromtheCourtssystem,and to more effectively address their underlyingoffendingbehaviours, suchasaddiction issues.Thisinitiative will be piloted in Dublin City Centre, witha view to tackling persistent, low-level public orderoffending.

LEGISLATIvE REFORMSince2011,wehavepublishedandenacted130piecesof reforming legislation. We will continue to ensurethatlegislationisupdatedandamendedtoreflectourchangingsociety.

DomesticandSexualviolence:FineGaelhastakendecisiveactiontotackledomesticandsexualviolence.We will fully implement the Istanbul Convention ontackling Domestic Violence and the commitmentscontainedintherecentlypublishedSecondNationalStrategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender BasedViolence.Wewillstreamlinethegovernance,fundingand implementation of all polices and services on



A bALANCED MIGRATION pOLICyFineGaelwillcontinuetopursueabalancedmigrationpolicy that supports our economy and meets ourinternationalandhumanitarianobligations,whilstalsotakingatoughapproachtotacklingillegalmigration.

ImmigrationBill:WewillintroduceacomprehensiveImmigration and Residency Reform Bill, aimed atmodernisingIreland’svisaandresidencysystems.

Refugee Protection: We will continue to offer safehaven for refugees under EU and UN resettlementand relocation programmes, while promoting theintegrationofrefugeesinourcommunities.

DirectProvision:WewillreformtheDirectProvisionsystem,withparticularfocusonfamiliesandchildren.

Abuseof ImmigrationSystem:Wewillget tougheron abuses of our migration system by ensuringimplementation of the new enforcement anddeportation provisions in the recently enactedInternational Protection Act. In implementing EUregulations,wewillensureastringentandeffectiveapproach to speedily refusing bogus applicationsandfacilitatingremovalfromtheState.WewillalsoincreasecooperationwiththeUKtocrackdownontheincreasingnumbersofbogusasylumseekerswhoare applying for unmerited asylum status in IrelandsolelybecausetheirUKvisahasexpired.

domestic violence to ensure a single, coordinatedapproach.WewillenactthenewSexualOffencesBill,includingimprovingprotectionsfromonlinegroomingand exploitation. We will also enact legislationto strengthen the post-release supervision of sexoffendersandtoprovidefordisclosurebyGardaíofdetails on sex offenders where they believe publicsafetyconcernsexist.

updating our Laws: We will update Ireland’s lawstotacklenewandemergingtrends,inareassuchasgambling,gaming,corruption,white-collarcrimeandwithregardtotheproceedsofcrime.Wewillenactlegislation to provide an independent and effectivelicensingsystemforhandguns.

Charities:FineGaelrecognisestheneedforathrivingandwell-regulatedcharitysector.Wewillensurethatthe recently established Charities Regulator is fullyresourced, including to carryout all of its statutorycomplianceandinvestigationfunctions.

Assisted Decision Making: We will fully implementarrangements,introducedbyFineGael,intheAssistedDecision-MakingAct, includingadvancedhealthcaredirectives and the establishment of a DecisionSupportServicetoreplacetheWardsofCourtOfficeandmanagecapacitymatters.


Reform of County Councils: We implemented themostsignificant reformof localgovernment inover100 years, replacing ineffective structures withmore autonomous county councils and boostingcouncillors’responsibilities.Inasecondterm,wewillbuildonthesestructuralreforms.

One of the most important elements of thesereforms was the enhanced economic mandate ofcountycouncilsandtheircouncillors. FineGaelwillencouragecountycouncils toplayasignificantroleintheRegionalActionPlanforJobsandensurethateconomic recovery is felt insideeverydoorof theircounty.

Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs): Enterprise Ireland(EI) will support the LEO network to develop theirowncapacityandtheirrangeofpolicytools,togrowtheir base of start-ups and small businesses. It willencouragegreaterscopeforlocalinnovationandthebuild-outofasupportingenterprisenetworkineverycounty.WewanttoseeIrelandbecomeaEuropeanleaderinthenumberofstart-upsandintheirsurvivalandgrowth–facilitatedbybettermentoring,fundingmodels,acceleratorsandbusinessspace.TothisendwewillensurethatthestandardofservicedeliveredisconsistentacrossthecountryandthatanySMEorprospectiveSMEthatvisitsitsLEOwillreceivehigh-

quality mentoring, support and seamless access tothe wider range of Enterprise Ireland supports forhigh-potentialenterprises.

Empowering Councillors: We will focus onempowering local councillors and increasingtransparencytofacilitatebetterengagementwiththecitizen,andgreateraccountability.This includes, forexample,localcouncillorsbeinggiven,sinceJanuary1st2015,thepowertovarythebasicLocalPropertyTax (LPT) rate on residential properties in theiradministrativeareabyupto15%.

BenchmarkingPerformance:ToensureCouncilsareperformingfortheircitizens,theywillbebenchmarkedagainst key performance indicators by the recentlyestablishedNationalOversightandAuditCommission.ThisCommissionwillproduceperformancereportstorate the levelof serviceprovisionbyCouncils, theirappropriateness,andwhethertargetshavebeenmet.Councils will also have their performance assessedrelative to other Councils. Particular focus will beplacedonsocialhousingturnover.

EthicsandTransparency:FineGaelisdeterminedtoensurethatthebadpracticesofthepastwillneverberepeated.Itiscrucialthatdecisionmakingatlocalandnationallevelistransparentandprofessional.Tothisend,wewillintroduceanewcodeofethicsforlocal

During a first term of government, Fine Gael implemented a number of radical reforms across local government, which will have significant long-term benefits. During a second term, we will ensure that local government is more accountable than ever before.

19.Local Government and Communities



JobsInvestmentFundwewillseektoallowLEADERgroups to bid for additional resources for projectsthatsupportruraleconomicdevelopment.

StrongerLocalCommunities:Wealsofirmlybelievethatoneofthemosteffectivewaysofensuringruralrenewal will be to empower communities to helpthemselvesinregeneratingtheareasinwhichtheylive.Tofurtherthisgoal,wewillsupportlocalcommunitygroupswhowishtorolloutprogrammesthatwouldbeofbenefittotheirlocalarea.

Wewillestablishanumberofpilotprojectstoexaminethe feasibility of giving local communities moredecision-making power through the introduction ofParticipatoryBudgets.Thisinnovationwillallowlocalcitizens,alongwiththeirelectedcountycouncillors,tohaveagreatersayinhowstatemoneyisspentintheircommunity.WewillalsopilotaCommunityRighttoChallengewhichwillgiveCivilSocietyOrganisationsthe right to express an interest in taking over therunningofalocalauthorityservice.

ExpertGrouponCommercialRates:WewillestablishanExpertGrouponCommercialRatestoreport,bythe end of 2016, on the feasibility of replacing thecurrent system of local authority commercial rateswith a Site Valuation tax, as recommended by theNationalCompetitivenessCouncil,withtheobjectiveof ensuring fair and affordable rates on businessesand encouraging the development of unused orunderdevelopedpremisesandland.

Inparallel,wewillpressaheadwiththeimplementationoftherecentlypassedValuationAct,whichisdesignedto speed up the cumbersome revaluation process.FineGaelwillcloselymonitoritseffectivenessandwillintroducefurthermeasuresifwedonotseesufficientimprovement.

Wewillalsoinstructallcountycouncilstopublishthebreakdownofhowallcommercialratescollectedarespent, facilitatingcomparisonsacrossdifferent localauthorities. This provision will encourage efficientlocal authorities to adopt commercial rates policiesthathelpsustainexistingbusinessesandencouragenewstart-ups.

government to build on the legislative frameworksthathavebeendevelopedacrossthepublicservice.

Local Government Leadership and Accountability:Recent reforms of local government have boostedlocal autonomy and given local councillors andCouncils more influence and responsibility over theeconomicdevelopmentoftheirlocality.Aspartofthenext wave of local government reform the MinisterforEnvironment,CommunityandLocalGovernment,havingconsultedwidelywithallrelevantstakeholders,will prepare a report for Government by mid-2017on potential measures to boost local governmentleadershipandaccountability.

AnAffordableLocalPropertyTax:WewillretaintheLPTasasuperioralternativetotaxesonincomesandjobsandasadriveroflocalgovernmentaccountabilityforservicedelivery.WewillprovideeachcitizenwithabreakdownofhowLPTrevenuesarespent,inordertoincreasetransparencyandallowpeopletoscrutinisehowexactlytheirmoneyisspent.Toreflectthestrongrecovery in house prices since the introduction oftheLPT, and tobetter align the revaluations to thelocal government electoral cycle, we have deferredthenextrevaluationofhousepricesto2019.Wewillincreaselocalauthorityfreedomtosetthelocalrates.WewillfreezeequalisationcontributionstotheLocalGovernment Fund at their current levels, allowingall Councils to retain 100% of any additional LPTreceiptsfollowingtherevaluation.WewillincreasethethresholdsforthedeferralofLPTforlow-incomeandmortgage-distressedhomeowners.

Libraries: We will place libraries at the centre ofreformed and strengthened local government inthe community. Libraries have a crucial role in theeconomic, social and cultural development of theircommunitiesandtheywillbesupportedintheireffortstoprovideservicesinthemostefficient,effective,andcreativewayspossible.

LEADER:WewillworkwithlocalauthoritiesandlocalactiongroupstoensurethatLEADERfundingdeliversthe maximum possible benefit for communitiesthroughout the country. In rolling out our Future


LocalGovernmentFundingReview:Astheeconomycontinues to recover, we want to provide long-term stability and certainty for the funding of localgovernmentservices.With thisaim inmind,wewillcomplete a review of local government funding, byMarch2017,withaviewtoreinforcinglocalgovernmentautonomy,accountabilityandefficiency.

SocialInnovationFund:FineGaelbelievesthatsocialinnovationhasan important role toplay in shapingthe future of Ireland; to shape Ireland as a countrythatisnotonlyeconomicallyprosperousbutamoreinclusiveandfairersocietyinwhichtolive.Duetothewinding down of major philanthropic organisations,suchasAtlanticPhilanthropiesandOneFoundation.A potential gap has opened up in the funding ofsocialprojects.Toclosethisgap,FineGaelproposetodrivesocialinnovationpolicyintheDepartmentofthe Taoiseach and establish Social Innovation FundIreland with a view to raising a minimum of €50million to provide growth capital to Ireland’s best

socialinnovations.Thismoneywillberaisedthroughphilanthropy, along with a previously announcedcommitmentof€5millionmatchedbyphilanthropists,andwillstrengthenandfostersocialinnovation.

Philanthropy:FineGaelwillsupport thecrucial roleofphilanthropyinthesocialandvoluntarysectorandwilldevelopasupportinginfrastructuretofacilitateitsgrowth,includingnewinitiatives.

NoFryZone:The2013guidelinesforthedevelopmentoflocalareaplansstatethatalocalareaplancanseekto reduceexposureofchildren to thepromotionoffoodsthatarehigh in fat,saltorsugarthroughthecarefulconsiderationoftheappropriatenessand/orlocationoffastfoodoutletsinthevicinityofschoolsand parks. So far there has been little adherenceto theseguidelines. Inasecond termFineGaelwillexamineproposalsandinternationalevidenceinhowto better encourage use of this health promotionmeasure.



Fund and through ministerial engagement withrepresentativesofdifferentcommunitytraditions.

OutstandingCommitments:Wewill supporteffortsto implement the unfulfilled commitments underpreviousAgreements,includingtheestablishmentofaNorth-SouthConsultativeForum;theestablishmentofapublic inquiry intothemurderofPatFinucane;andthepromulgationofaBillofRightsforNorthernIreland.

Ireland-ukRelations:Buildingonthesuccessfulstatevisitsof2011and2014,wewillcontinuetoenhanceIreland’s relationship with the United Kingdom,includingundertheGoodFridayAgreement,throughthe British-Irish Council and the annual summitsbetween the Taoiseach and British Prime Minister.We will strengthen cooperation with all devolvedadministrations.

NORTh SOuTh COOpERATIONNorth South cooperation has strengthenedsignificantlyinrecentyears.FineGaeliscommittedtobuildingonthismomentumforthebenefitofpeopleonbothsidesoftheborder.

Economic Cooperation: Fine Gael pioneered trademissionsjointlyledbyJobsministersnorthandsouth.Wewillincreasethenumberofsuchtrademissionstocreatenewjobopportunitiesforpeopleonbothsidesoftheborder.

WewilldeliverontheIrishGovernmentcommitmentsmade in the Stormont House and Fresh StartAgreements which will aim to boost economicgrowth in the North West through the North West

ThE pEACE pROCESSFromtheSunningdaleAgreementtotheAnglo-IrishAgreementtotheStormontHouseAgreementtotheFreshStartAgreement,FineGaelhasastrongrecordof working to achieve a peaceful and prosperousfutureforthepeopleofthisisland,northandsouth.

Agreement Implementation: Fine Gael will activelyfulfil the Irish Government’s mandate as a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement and,buildingonthesubstantialprogressalreadymade,willhonourcommitmentsundersubsequentagreementsincluding the 2014 Stormont House and the 2015FreshStartAgreement,whichtogetherprovideanewpolitical,socialandeconomicframeworkforNorthernIreland.

WewillcontinuetoworkwiththeBritishGovernmentandtheUSAdministrationtosupporttheExecutiveParties inNorthern Ireland inthe implementationoftheircommitmentsundertheseAgreements.

Addressing the Needs of victims and Survivors:Maintaining the needs of the victims and theirsurvivorsatthecoreofourapproach,wewillbuildontheprogressmadeinrecenttalkstoestablishthenewinstitutionalframeworkonthepast,asagreedundertheStormontHouseAgreement.

WewillactivelypursuetheimplementationoftheAll-PartyDáilmotionsof2008and2011 relatingtothe1974DublinandMonaghanbombingatrocities.

We will continue to support victims’ groups and topromotereconciliationamongcommunitiesonbothsidesoftheborder,whichwereparticularlyaffectedbyconflict,throughtheGovernment’sReconciliation

20.Northern Ireland, European and Foreign Affairs


Gatewayinitiative,theupgradingoftheA5roadandthefurtherdevelopmentoftheUlsterCanal.Wewillcontinuetodevelopfurthercross-borderGreenwaysandBlueways.

Narrow Water Bridge: Working with the NorthernIrelandExecutive,wewillundertakeareviewof theNarrowWaterBridgeprojectto identifyoptionsforfuturedevelopment.

AtlanticyouthTrustInitiative:WewillworkwiththeNorthernIrelandExecutivetoagreeafundingplanfortheAtlanticYouthTrustinitiative,whichinvolvesanewsail training vessel to facilitate youth development,mentoringandtrainingonanall-islandbasis.

North South Ministerial Council: We will continueto advance North South cooperation, particularlythrough cross-border bodies and the North SouthMinisterialCouncil(NSMC)andharnessthepotentialof the Stormont House Agreement to develop newareas of cooperation in areas such as trade, health,tourism,sportandsecurity.

EuSupports:WewillworkwiththeNorthernIrelandExecutive to agree and implement cross-borderprojectsthatcanbenefitfromEUfundingthroughtheINTERREGandPEACEprogrammes.

SECuRITy AND CRIME pREvENTIONThe preservation of peace on this island is a corepriorityandislinkedtomaintainingastronglawandorderfocusasterroristgroupsfrequentlyprofitfrominvolvementinorganisedcrime.

Tackling Terrorism: We will ensure that the Gardaíare adequately resourced and that all necessarycross-border cooperation takes place at ministerial,institutional,agencyandpolicinglevelstothwartthedissident terrorists who seek to destroy the peaceprocess and the reconciliation agenda which issupported by the overwhelming majority of peopleonthisisland.

Tackling Cross-Border Crime: In the Fresh StartAgreement we committed to establishing a JointAgency Task Force to tackle cross-jurisdictional

organisedcrime,whichwouldbuildoncurrent jointefforts focusing on tobacco smuggling and fuellaundering.Consciousoftheseriouseconomic,healthand environmental consequences of cross-bordercrime,thisTaskForce,involvinganewstrategicandoperational approach, will significantly enhanceeffortstotacklethescourgeofcross-bordercrime.

IRELAND IN EuROpE SinceFineGael’selectiontogovernment,IrelandhasreturnedtotheheartofEurope,movingfromabailoutsituation to regaining our status as a committedandactivememberoftheEuropeanUnion.Thishasbeen achieved through the dogged efforts of theGovernment,itsofficialsanditsdiplomats.

Addressing External Threats: Fine Gael will workthroughtheEuropeanCouncilandtheForeignAffairsCounciltoensurethatIrelandplaysitspartinresolvingthemanyexternalconflictsfacingtheEuropeanUniontoday.

EffectiveInstitutions:Wewillworkwithlike-mindedMember States to ensure that EU institutions moreeffectively address the concerns of Member Statesandworkforandinthenameofallthepeopletheyrepresent.

uk Membership: Fine Gael believes that UKmembership of the EU is beneficial for Ireland, theUKand theEU.Wewilladvocate forcontinuedUKmembership of the EU and play a positive role innegotiationsanddebates.

TheEuropeanPeople’sParty(EPP):TheEPPisthelargest andmost influentialpoliticalbloc in theEU.FineGaelwill continue toplayaveryactive role inshapingEPPpolicy.

Taxation:AtEUlevel,wewillopposeanyattempttodilutetheunanimityrequirementfortaxharmonisation.

Eu Competitiveness and Growth: Ireland’s nationaleconomy is recovering but we also want to seefurther improvement in the economic performanceof the wider euro area and EU economies. We willwork with like-minded countries to ensure that the



resolutions to crises and conflict, with particularreferencetoSyria,Iraq,Libya,andtheUkraine.

Wewillcontinuetoplayaroleinadvancingastrongerrole for the EU in the Middle East Peace Process,havingregardtothestallednatureoftheprocessatpresent, and honour our commitment to recognisetheStateofPalestineaspartofalastingsettlementoftheconflict.

Addressing External Threats: Radicalisation andterrorismposea threat toour safetyandourvaluesystem.WewillsupportEUandUNeffortstotackleradicalisationoutsidetheEU’sbordersbymeasuressuch as working with third countries to stop theadvanceofbrutalterrorists.

Promoting Fundamental Rights: We will promotefundamental rights, the rule of law and religiousfreedomandsupporteffortsbytheEUandUNtostopthepersecutionofethnicandreligiousminorities.Wewill continue to protect and promote human rightsthroughmultilateralforaandtosupporttheworkofHumanRightsDefenders.

Active uN Membership: Our active membership oftheUNisanimportantaspectofourforeignpolicy.FineGaelwillcampaignforIreland’selectiontoanon-permanent seaton theUNSecurityCouncil for the2021-2022 term. We will advocate for UN SecurityCouncilreformtoensuregreaterregionalbalanceinmembership.

Non-Proliferation and Disarmament: ContinuingIreland’sproudlegacy,wewillensureIrelandcontinuestoplayaleadingroleinnuclearnon-proliferationandarmscontrolthroughtheUNandOSCE.

TRADE Ireland’s strong export performance in recent yearshasbeenkeytoourgrowingeconomicrecovery.

Trade Missions: Fine Gael will continue to deliverrecordnumbersofminister-ledtrademissions.

NewCross-SectoralTradeStrategies:FineGaelwilldevelopanewcross-sectoral,whole-of-governmentAsia-Pacific Strategy, recognising the strengtheningrelationship between Ireland and many Asia-Pacificcountries.

EU’s regulatory regime is pro-jobs and pro-growth.Aspartofthis,wewillcontinuetofocusontheneedto achieve a deeper Single Market for goods andservicesinallkeyareas,throughmeasuressuchastheimplementationoftheDigitalSingleMarketandtheActionPlanonCapitalMarketsUnion.

CONFLICT RESOLuTION AND MuLTILATERAL ENGAGEMENT Our own experiences of conflict on this island giveusauniqueperspectiveonconflictresolution,andinparticularonthevalueofdialogueandpatient,quietdiplomacy.Whileasmallcountry,IrelandhasplayedanenergeticandleadingroleinarangeofinternationalorganisationsincludingtheOrganisationforSecurityand Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Council ofEurope(COE)andtheUnitedNations(UN).

Security and Defence Policy: Our Security andDefence Policy will be guided by the following keyprinciples:

•The commitment to adhere to the fundamentalprinciplesoftheUN

•Thecommitmenttothepursuitofuniversalnuclearandbiologicaldisarmament,andapromisenevertouseeithertypeofweapon

•The commitment to providing peacekeeping andpeacemakingoperations

•Thecommitment to respect the rightofotherEUMemberStatestoenterothermilitaryalliances,ortobeneutral,astheychoose

•TherightofIrelandtooptinandoptoutofaspectsofamutualdefenceandsecuritysystemonacase-by-casebasis

ProtectingWomenandGirls:Recognisingthatwomenand girls are disproportionately affected by violentconflict, we will ensure the timely implementationofIreland’ssecondNationalActionPlanonWomen,PeaceandSecurityandsupportinternationaleffortstoprotectwomenandgirlsinconflictzones.

ConflictResolution:Wewillcontinuetoplayanactiverole at the European Union Foreign Affairs Council,theOSCEandthroughtheUN,inseekingdiplomatic


We will develop a new cross-sectoral, whole-of-governmentStrategyfortheAmericas,takingaccountofIreland’sstronglinkstocountriesrightacrosstheAmericancontinentandtheopportunitiessuchlinkscreate.

Continuing Reform and Modernisation: We willevaluate the diplomatic mission network to ensurethatitsbreadthanddepthisconsistentwithIreland’sstrategic priorities, with a view to expansion in linewiththeproposedstrategiesforAsia-PacificandtheAmericas.

OFFICIAL DEvELOpMENT ASSISTANCE (ODA) AND huMANITARIAN AID In the face of difficult economic challenges, FineGael has remained strongly committed toourODAprogramme, stabilising funding and recognising thecrucialimportanceofIreland’sODAandhumanitarianresponseprogrammes.ODAwasincreasedby7%inBudget2016.

NGOPartnerships:WewillcontinuetocloselypartnerwithinternationalandIrishNGOstoensurethatIrishaid funding effectively reaches those in need andhas the flexibility to deal with emergencies whilstprioritising long-term outcomes from developmentprogrammes in line with the Government’s 2013international development policy, One World, OneFuture.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Ireland,alongwithKenya,co-facilitatedagreementofthenewSDGsattheUN.FineGaelwillworktoimplementtheSDGs and to promote their implementation aroundtheworld.

Funding:Wewillcontinuetomakeprogresstowardsachieving the UN target of 0.7% of gross nationalproductforODA,asresourcesallow.

Oversight:WewillensurerobustoversightofIreland’sODAbudget.

pASSpORT SECuRITyTheIrishPassportbookletisamongthemostsecureintheworld.Werecognisethatcontinuedinvestmentinnewtechnologyisessentialtoprotectitsintegrity.WewillcontinuetheinnovationagendathatledtotheintroductionofthePassportCardin2015.

New Technology: Building on the progress alreadymade,wewillintroducefacialrecognitionsoftwaretoenhancepassportsecurity.

Closer Cooperation: To enhance the cooperativearrangements already in place, we will appoint aGardafraudexperttothePassportOffice.



oneoftherecommendationsoftheBankingInquiry;however,wewillgofurtherthanthis.

This Unit will carry out preliminary investigationsin advance of the Oireachtas establishing anyCommissionofInquiryoraspartoftheinvestigationphase of any Oireachtas Committee of Inquiry. TheHousesoftheOireachtaswillalsobeinapositiontorefer any matter to the Parliamentary InvestigationUnit.TheUnitwillthencarryoutaninitialfeasibilitystudy on the matter and report to the Oireachtas,whomayrequestamoreextensivereportorreferthemattertoanOireachtasCommittee.

TheOfficeof theCeannComhairle: Ingovernmentwe introduced a new system under which the nextCeann Comhairle will be selected by secret ballot.AftertheelectionanyFineGaelTDwhowisheswillbefreetoseeknominationsfortheOfficeandallFineGaelTDswillhaveafreevotetoselectthenextCeannComhairlebysecretballot.

We will hold a referendum to give the Office ofthe Ceann Comhairle constitutional standing asrecommendedbytheConstitutionalConvention.

StrengtheningOireachtasCommittees:TheworkofOireachtasCommitteeswillbefurtheropenedup,andmade more strategic and effective. All governmentministerswillbeaskedtoappearbeforetheirrelevantOireachtasCommitteetoupdatethemonaquarterlybasis. The chairs of Oireachtas Committees will be

Wehavereformedlocalgovernment,mergedcountycouncilsandreducedthenumberoflocalcouncillors.WearereducingthenumberofTDs inthiselectionand in thenextDáil theGovernmentwill no longerhave a near monopoly of Oireachtas CommitteeChairsandthenextCeannComhairlewillbeelectedbysecretballot.

We also devolved new powers to local councils,opened up the law-making process to citizens byinvolving them in a new Pre-Legislative Stage andestablished an independent Fiscal Advisory Counciltoanalysebudgetaryandfinancialmatters.

Werecognise,however,thatmoreneedstobedonetocreateamoreeffectivepoliticalsystem,withgreateropenness,improvedaccountabilityanddelivery,andmoreeffectivepublicparticipation.Underpinningourpolitical reform programme will be a commitmentto ensure that the mistakes of the past are neverrepeatedtoensurewekeeptherecoverygoing.

A MORE EFFECTIvE OIREAChTASParliamentary Investigation unit: Fine Gael willprovidetheOireachtaswiththesupportsnecessarytoestablishapermanentParliamentaryInvestigationUnit. This Unit, which will be independent ofGovernment, will operate as part of the OireachtasandwillbeheadedbyanOfficeoftheParliamentaryInvestigator.AParliamentaryInvestigationsUnitwas

Fine Gael in government has introduced a series of reforms to both open up and modernise Irish politics. We effectively abolished corporate and political donations, enacted gender quotas, restored the Freedom of Information Act and introduced new whistleblowing and lobbying legislation.

21.political Reform


allocatedonaproportionalbasisusingtheD’Hondtsystem in order to ensure fairness and greateraccountabilityoftheExecutivetoParliament.Inlinewith the recommendations of the ConstitutionalConvention we will give Oireachtas Committeesconstitutional standing. Oireachtas Committees,rather than government ministers, will review thefunctioningofanActayearafteritsenactmentunderarestructuredsystemofPost-LegislativeScrutiny.

Inadditiontothesereformswewillalso:

•Restructure the Oireachtas Committee system tocreatestrongercommittees,includinganOireachtasBudgetandFinanceCommittee

•ReducethesizeofOireachtasCommitteessotheyhavefewermembers

•Seek to assign each TD to only one OireachtasCommitteeso theycangivedueattention to thatCommitteeanditsbusiness

•Establish a Dáil Committee of Selection, like thatwhichexistsintheSeanad,withthepartiescomingtogethertoagreeonthisselectionprocess

•Establish panels of relevant external experts toadviseandworkwitheachCommittee

Taoiseach’s Engagement with Committee Chairs:InthenextDáiltheTaoiseachwillappearbeforetheWorking Group of Committee Chairpersons twicea year to discuss matters of public policy. This willfurtherenhancetheaccountabilityoftheOfficeoftheTaoiseachtotheOireachtas,reinforcingParliament’spowertoholdtheGovernmenttoaccount.

Committee Engagement with the Dáil and theSeanad:AfteraCommitteeReportispublished,timewillbeallocatedintheDáilfortheCommitteeChairand members to outline the purpose of the report.MorereportswillbedebatedintheDáilandSeanad.Chairs/ViceChairsofOireachtasCommitteeswillbeallowedtoappearbeforetheSeanad(asministersdo)toparticipateindebatesonCommitteeReports.

ApplicationofthePartyWhip:Theuseofthewhipisultimatelyamatterforeachindividualparty.FineGaelwillworkonanall-partybasis to relax itsuse.FineGaelsupportstheremovalofthewhip,onanall-party

basis, incommittees,exceptonbudgetmatters.NowhipwillbeappliedintheelectionofthenextCeannComhairle,whichwillbeasecretballot.

Pre-Legislative Scrutiny: In order to embed thenew pre-legislative scrutiny process, new bills willcommence in Oireachtas Committees. Ministers willbe required to seek the approval of the WorkingGroupofCommitteeChairpersonstobypassthispre-legislativestage.

Programming of Government Bills: Fine Gael willintroduce a requirement for the Oireachtas to beprovided with new timelines for the passage oflegislation through theOireachtas, toavoid theuseoftheguillotine,wherepossible.WhenaBillistakenat Second Stage in the Dáil or Seanad, a detailedprogrammesettingout, inbroadterms,a timetablefor theCommitteeandReportStages of the Bill inthatHousemustbepresented.Anyfutureproposalto guillotine a debate on any aspect of a Bill willautomaticallytriggeraDáilvote.

questionTimeintheDáil:ThewaytheGovernmentisheldtoaccountintheDáilwillbetransformedandstrengthened and backbench TDs will be given agreaterroleintheprocess.Specificmeasuresthatwillbetakenwillincludethefollowing:

•Leaders’Questionswillbeformallyextendedtohalfanhoureachday.

•Ministers’Questionswillbeextendedto90minutesaday(from75minutes),withaset30minutesforpriority questions from Opposition Spokespeopleand60minutesforquestionsfrombackbenchTDs,selectedbydraw.TDswillcontinuetoberequiredtobepresentintheChambertohavetheirquestiontaken.

•Taoiseach’sQuestionswillbeoverhauledtomakeitmore relevantand topicalbygivingparty leaders’priority questions and not allowing questionsbecomeoutofdate

•The Order of Business will be restructured tomake it more responsive to the work of the Dáil,involve government ministers and allow questionson legislation be taken by ministers from theDepartmentconcerned.



FISCAL RESpONSIbILITy AND NATIONAL COMpETITIvENESS IndependentFiscalandBudgetOffice:FineGaelsetuptheIrishFiscalAdvisoryCouncil(IFAC)in2011toserveasan independentfiscalwatchdogafterpoorbudgetarymanagementledtothecrashof2008.IFAChas emerged as a credible independent institution,fulfillingitsmandateandincreasingtransparencyonfiscalmatters.

We will build on IFAC’s work to date by enhancingitsroleandgiving itthepowersandresponsibilitiesof an Independent Budget Office, which will workdirectlywithanewOireachtasBudgetandFinanceCommittee.Inadditiontofulfillingitscurrentfunction,the new Independent Fiscal and Budget Office(IFBO) will be available to cost election manifestosand budget proposals for all political parties. Thiswill go beyond the costing of individual proposalswhichisalreadydonebytheDepartmentsofFinanceandPublicExpenditureandReformandlookattheoverallimpactofapackageofproposals..Wewillalsomandate IFBOtoput increased focuson long-termfiscal issues. Furthermore, IFBO will engage withmembersoftheOireachtasonimportantfiscalissuesthroughpresentationsandwrittenoutput. IFBOwillhave a strong statutory right to obtain informationcovering relevant public sector authorities asrecommended for independentfiscal institutionsbytheOECD.

A New Independent Competitiveness andProductivity Commission: Building on the reformsof the National Competitiveness Council (NCC)introducedbythecurrentgovernment,andinresponsetothe2015recommendationsoftheOECD,FineGaelwill transform the NCC into the CompetitivenessandProductivityCommissionof Ireland(CPCI).TheCommission’sremitwillbe,amongotherthings,to:

•Advise the Taoiseach and Government on how tomaintaincompetitivenessanddevelopproductivity-enhancingprogrammes

•Contributetoanationalproductivityinitiativewhichwillunderlinetheimportanceofsupportingworkersandemployerstoenhanceproductivityacrosstheeconomy

SeanadReform:FineGaelwillaskitsproposedCitizensAssembly to consider the merits of comprehensivereformoftheSeanad.Itwillexaminevariousreformproposals,includingtheReportoftheWorkingGroupinto Seanad Reform and proposed legislation togiveeffecttothe1979referendumonextendingtheSeanadelectoratetoallgraduates.

MORE INCLuSIvE pOLITICSAutomatic and Online voter Registration: FineGael will introduce automatic and new online voterregistrationforcitizensoncetheyreach18.

Electoral Commission: Fine Gael in governmentwill establish an Electoral Commission, taking intoaccounttheOireachtasCommittee’sReportontheirconsultationprocess,published inJanuary2016.AnElectoralCommissionwilloverseevoterregistration,promote voter education and seek to increasevoter turnout. Such a Commission will also assumethe role of Registrar of Political Parties, regulatepolitical fundingandelectionexpenditureandallowtheReferendumCommission tobecomeaseparatesection within it. The Electoral Commission will beindependentofGovernmentandaccountabledirectlytotheOireachtas.

IncreasedFemaleParticipationinPolitics:FineGaelis committed to increasing female participation atlocalandnational leveland iscommittedtogenderequalityinpolitics.ItwasFineGaelthatintroducedgender quota legislation and we have reached the30%quotaforElection2016.Tomakeourparliamenta better working environment for all Oireachtasmemberswithyoungfamilies,FineGaelwillasktheCeann Comhairle and the Oireachtas to considertheintroductionoffamilyfriendlyhoursfortheDáilfollowingareviewofhowotherparliamentsaddressthisissueandaconsultationprocesswithallmembersastohowitwouldworkinourparliament.

A Digital Democracy Commission: A DigitalDemocracyCommissionwillbeestablishedthroughtheOireachtastoexaminehownewtechnologycanfurther open up politics and allow greater citizenparticipationinthepoliticalprocess.


•Independently assess, and comment publicly on,whetherpolicyactionsandinitiativesareconsistentwithmaintainingIreland’scompetitiveness

•ProvideasetofrecommendationstoGovernment,includingasubmissiontotheActionPlanforJobs,which will be considered by Government within 6weeksofsubmission

•ProvideadvicetoGovernmentonthecompetitivenessimpactsofpolicyinitiatives

EMpOWERING CITIzENS AND DRIvING pOLICyCitizens’ Assembly: Fine Gael is committed toestablishing a Citizens’ Assembly. Unlike theConstitutional Convention, the Assembly will becomposed solely of randomly selected citizens andwill be asked to undertake a detailed review of alimitednumberofkeyissuesoveranextendedtimeperiod.Thesewillinclude:

•SeanadReform

•ClimateChange

•The8thAmendmentoftheConstitution

•AreviewofthepowerofOireachtasCommitteestoconduct inquireson footof the recommendationsoftheBankingInquiryandconsiderwhetherthereshould be a new Constitutional Referendum tostrengthenthesepowers

•Aspartof theplanstomarkthecentenaryof the1916 rebellion, the Assembly will also be asked toexaminehowweshould,asarepublic,bestrespondto both the challenges and opportunities of anageingpopulation.

A range of specific propositions will be set beforethe Assembly by the Government for the former’sconsideration,whileIFBOwillbeaskedtoprovidetheAssemblywiththenecessarytechnicalexpertise.Allof the Assembly’s proposals will be referred to theappropriate Oireachtas Committee for review, andthenforwardedtoGovernmentfor itsconsiderationandresponse.

volunteering: Fine Gael will publish a NationalStrategy for Volunteering, in order to encourage asmuchvolunteerismatlocallevelaspossible.

PolicyDelivery:FineGaelwillestablishaProgrammefor Government Delivery Unit in each Departmentto ensure effective implementation of governmentcommitments.



of co-payment which families/individuals have topayformedicinesundertheDrugPaymentScheme.Currentlyafamily/individualhastopayamaximumof€1,728peryearandthiswillbereducedto€950,helping families/individuals with significant ongoingmedical bills. Currently a family or individual witha medical card has to pay up to €25 a month inprescriptioncharges,thiscapwillalsobereducedtoamaximumof€17.50amonth.

Streamlining Access to Services: Fine Gael willconsolidateallmeanstestingunderasinglenationalbodysothatpeoplewillonlyapplyonceforservicesorentitlementsacrossallgovernmentagencies.

ENhANCED pRIMARy CAREAspartofourLongTermEconomicPlantokeeptherecovery going we are committed to significantlyincreasing investment in primary care, which willinclude additional doctors, nurses, and therapists,keepingcareinthecommunity.

Primary Care Centres and GP access: We havecommittedfundingforatleast80additionalprimarycarecentres.Toachieveourgoalofprovidingmorecare in the community we must invest in more GPtraining places. We will increase the number of GPtrainingplacesby100overthenextfiveyearsto259

OLDER yEARS, bETTER yEARSFineGaelhasaplantokeeptherecoverygoinginawaythatwillgeneratetheresourcestoinvestinandimprovethelivingstandardsandqualityoflifeofouroldergeneration.

Budget 2016 provided targeted supports for olderpeople, through increases in the weekly Statepension,theChristmasbonusandthefuelallowanceandprovidedadditional funding for theFreeTravelscheme,toensureitssustainability.

StatePension:.Wewillincreaseboththecontributoryandnon-contributoryStatepensionsbyatleast€25perweekby2021(a€5increaseeveryyear).

LivingAloneAllowance:Wewill increase theStatepension for those who qualify for the living aloneallowance by at least €30 per week by 2021 (a €6increaseeveryyear).


Significantly Reducing the Maximum Annual Costof Medicines: We will significantly reduce the level

Fine Gael is committed to making our older years better years, and ensuring Ireland is a supportive country to grow old in. Over the next 30 years the number of people aged over 65 will double. Indeed, as we are living longer, the number of us living to be over 80 is set to quadruple. It makes it all the more important that we plan, design and deliver services appropriately, in order to keep people living independently in their homes. To do this, we will invest in and streamline services and supports so that older people have better quality services and better access to such services.

22.Older people


fine gael is committed to making our older years better years, and ensuring Ireland is a supportive country to grow old in.



placesannually.Subjecttonegotiations,wewillfundGPs to expand to services like minor surgery andcardiacmonitoring.WewillensureGPshaveaccesstoX-ray,ultrasoundandotherinvestigationsfortheirpatients.

Chronic Disease Management: We will expandchronic disease management in general practice,taking intoaccountadvicefromthe IrishCollegeofGeneral Practitioners (ICGP). Over 63,000 patientshavesignedupforthediabetescycleofcareingeneralpractice, which was initiated in 2015. In addition todiabetes, which is already covered, we will seek tocover chronic pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma,heartfailureandatrialfibrillation,sothatpatientscankeeptheircareintheircommunity,closetohome.

Multi-Disciplinary Teams: To underpin theexpansion of services we will increase the numberof physiotherapists, occupational therapists, mentalhealth professionals, public health and communitynurses,advancednursepractitioners,nurse/midwifespecialists and social workers in our primary carecentres.

Dementia Care: Fine Gael published the first everNationalDementiaStrategytoplanforthefuturecareneedsofpeople,provideaccesstotimelydiagnosis,and increase awareness and care supports at localand national level for families. Fine Gael will fullyimplementthisstrategy.

Community Pharmacists: We will expand the roleof community pharmacists, beyond dispensingprescriptions, to managing the health of theirpatients, within 2 years. This may include a minorailments scheme, a new medicines and medicationreview service, vaccines, warfarin clinics, smokingcessationandchronicdiseasemanagement.Wewillextendalimitedauthoritytopharmaciststoprescribemedicines.

pROMOTING INDEpENDENT AND ACTIvE LIvINGFine Gael is committed to ensuring that peoplecontinue to live independently in their own homesforaslongaspossible.Inordertomeetthatgoal,we

need todecisively shift care to thecommunityandinvest in home and community supports, therebyensuringqualitycareforpeopleintheirolderyears.

Services for Older People in the Community: Wewill commit significant resources to older peoples’services over the next 5 years. This will include 2.2millionadditionalhoursforhomehelp,bringingitto12.6millionhoursannually,andadditionalhomecarepackages,keepingolderpeopleintheirhomes.

uniformity of Home Care Services: We know thathomehelpandhomecareprovisionacrossthecountryrangesfromexcellenttoirregular.FineGaelwillputanewstructureinplacethatwillprovideaconsistent,high-qualitylevelofhomecaretothosewhoneedit.

New Technologies for Community and Homecare:Fine Gael will build on the success of the HealthInnovationHubbydevelopingnewtechnologiesandsolutions that help people remain independent intheirhome.

Housing Adaptation Scheme: Keeping peopleindependentintheirownhomeisapriorityforFineGaelandtheHousingAdaptationgrantsprovidedtolocal authorities are essential to meeting this goal.Budget2016increasedthisschemeby10%to€56m,whichwillseeover8,500householdsbenefitfromthescheme. Wewill increase this schemebya further20%to€66mby2021.

FairDeal:WewillfundadditionalbedsfortheNursingHomeSupportSchemetokeeptheFairDealschemeat approximately 4 weeks and ensure support forthoseunabletoremainathome.

NewResidentialCareOptions:WewillmandatetheStrategic Investment Fund to offer loan finance toprovidestimulustoprivatenursinghomeinvestmentand assisted living arrangements so that the needsandpreferencesofamorediverseolderpopulationcanbemet.

Senior Alert Scheme: The Senior Alert Schemeoffersreassuranceandsupporttoolderpeople.Wewill double the funding of this scheme to provideadditionalgrantstotheelderly.Theoperationofthisscheme should be reviewed annually to ensure itseffectiveness.


IncomeSupportforCarers:WewillincreaseCarer’sAllowance and Carer’s Benefit by at least €20 perweekby2021(a€4increaseeveryyear).

CarePlans:Wewillensurethereisgreaterinvolvementoffamilycarersinthepreparationofcareplansandprovision of care, together with more accessibletrainingandrespitetofacilitatefullsupport.

A STRONGER vOICE FOR OLDER pEOpLECitizens’ Assembly: Over the last 5 years, severalgovernmentstrategieshavebeenpublishedandarebeing implemented, including the Positive AgeingStrategy, National Smart Ageing Strategy, NationalDementiaStrategyandNationalCarersStrategy.Eachseekstoimprovethelivesofoureldersandtheirfamiliesandsupportpeopletoagewithconfidence,securityanddignityintheirownhomesandcommunities.Inanagewhenmoreandmorepeoplewillbeinretirement,weneedtobeawareof,andcaterfor,anincreasinglydiverseelderlypopulation.FineGaelwillestablishaCitizens’Assembly,whichwill,amongstotherissues,discussandplanthefutureneedsintooneintegratedapproachforimplementation.

Age Friendly Ireland and Older People’s Councils:FineGaeliscommittedtothesuccessofAgeFriendlyIrelandanditsprogrammes.FineGaelalsosupportstheestablishmentofOlderPeople’sCouncilsineverylocalauthority,whichwill includeolderpeoplefromtheareaandalsolocalserviceproviders.

ActiveRetirementNationalFund:Anewfundof€5mannually, to be administered by Pobal, will supportcommunity initiatives for retired and older people,ledby retiredandolderpeople.Peoplecanchooseto support their peers through home care support,courses, reducing social isolation and more activecitizenship.

Elder Abuse: The last review of Irish legislationrelatingtoelderabusetookplacein2009.FineGaelwill increasetheawarenessofthisseriousissueandwillreviewlegislativeoptionsagain,giventheincreaseinreferralsandourageingpopulation.In2014,therewere 2,592 referrals made to the HSE Elder AbuseService, with psychological and financial abuse themostfrequentlyreported.

FuelPoverty:FineGaelwillprotectandmaintaintheWarmerHomeSchemetoretrofitlow-incomehousingfor greater energy efficiency. We believe enhancedinsulation of homes is the most effective way ofkeepingtheelderlycomfortable in theirhomes.Wewill produce a strategy to address energy poverty,with a specific focus on conservation, pricing andincomesupport,withatargetedapproachandatimeframefordelivery.Wewillalso targetenergycosts,withaviewtopressurisingtheenergycompaniesandtheregulatortoprovidecheaperenergyinthecomingyearsinordertotacklefuelpoverty.

HealthInsurance:Wewillensurethemaintenanceofastablehealthinsurancemarketwhichcontinuestomonitorandintroduce,wherenecessary,affordabilitymeasures. Successful measures to date include areductioninthecommunityratinglevy, introductionofLifetimeCommunityRatingandareductionintheHealthInsuranceAuthorityfundinglevy.

CARERSFamilycarersarethebackboneofcareprovision inthiscountry.Mostofuswillbecarers–orcaredfor–atsomepointinourlives.Anditisthefamilycarerwho will continue to play a key role in supportingfamilymemberstoliveindependentlives.

National Carer’s Strategy: Fine Gael published thefirsteverNationalCarersStrategyandiscommittedtoimplementingitinfull.



Ourambitionistocreateapublicservicethat:

•Improvesoutcomesforcitizensthatarebenchmarkedagainstothercountries

•Delivers measurable improvements in productivityeach year, by embracing innovation, including theuse of new technologies and work practices todeliverservices

•Offersmoreopportunityforstaffdevelopmentandpromotion

To achieve this, we will empower frontline serviceproviders tomakemoredecisions, encouragemorecollaboration between public service bodies, andbetweenthepublicandprivatesectors,rewardpublicservice innovation and change, and allocate scarceresourcesusingmorecompetitiveprocessesthatshiftbudgetstosuccessfulprogrammes.

A STRONG, STRATEGIC CENTRE OF GOvERNMENT ThAT DRIvES NEW IDEAS AND INNOvATIONLongTermEconomicPlanningunit:Wewillestablisha Long Term Economic Planning Unit within theDepartment of An Taoiseach, encompassing the

currentActionPlanforJobsMonitoringCommittee,to coordinate the work of all relevant departments(particularly the Departments of Finance, PublicExpenditure and Reform and Jobs, Enterprise andInnovation) in managing the competitive processandmakingrecommendationstoGovernmentontheallocationofthenew€4bnFutureJobsInvestmentFund.

Tohelp informthisprocess, theUnitwillcoordinateanew,annualinteractionbetweentheTaoiseachandotherministersandtheIrishAcademyofEngineeringonarangeofkeylong-termpolicychallengesfacingthecountry,including:

•Climatechangemitigationandadaptation

•Energypolicyandrelatedenvironmentalissues

•Planning and delivering national infrastructurepriorities

•Technologicalsolutionsinthehealthsector

•Cost-effectivetransportationsolutions–roads,rail,airportandharbours

•Communicationinfrastructure,includingbroadbandandsecurityissues

Since 2011, our public service reform agenda, as a central element of our recovery plan, focused on cost-cutting and eliminating waste, while protecting frontline services. While continuing to cut out waste, our next wave of public service reforms will, consistent with our Long Term Economic Plan, ensure that the resources generated by a growing economy and rising employment are used sensibly to deliver better services and outcomes for the public.

23.public Sector Reform and public procurement


•Publish annual reports on Programme forGovernmentimplementation

•Conduct and publish an annual National RiskAssessment

•Ensure that the budget preparation process takesaccount of, and reflects, strategic priorities ofGovernment

•EnsurethattheoverallprioritiesofGovernmentarereflected indepartmentalstrategystatementsandotherstrategicdocumentsofGovernment,suchasfiscalstrategiesandsocialpolicies

DepartmentsofFinanceandofPublicExpenditureand Reform: The establishment by the currentGovernmentoftheDepartmentofPublicExpenditureandReformplayedapivotalroleinIrelandemergingfromthefiscalcrisisbyhelpingtodriveefficienciesand value for money across Government. Anotherterm of government is needed to finish the job.As the economic crisis abates, the Taoiseach willcommission,by2020at the latest,anexpertgrouptomakerecommendationsonthefuturerelationshipbetween,andtherolesof,theDepartmentofPublicExpenditure and Reform and the Department ofFinance.

NewERAandCommercialSemi-States:Wewilladdthe Dublin Airport Authority, the CIE companies,and the sea ports of national significance to thelist of commercial semi-states under the NewERAportfolio. We will, subject to EU competitionpolicy constraints, transfer shareholdings in all thecommercialsemi-statesundertheNewERAportfolioto either the Minister for Finance or the Ministerfor Public Expenditure and Reform. NewERA willprovidebothministerswithfinancialandcommercialadvisoryservicesinrelationtotheactivitiesofthesecommercialsemi-states,includingontheexerciseofanyministerialconsentsrequired.Thiscentralisationof the ownership functions will help address theconflictsthatcanarisefrommanyministers’currentresponsibilities,asbothshareholderofacommercial

•Techno-economicaspectsoftheemerging“sharingeconomy”andotherdisruptivetechnologies

Comprehensive Review of Expenditure: TheDepartmentofPublicExpenditureandReformwillbemandatedtocompleteanewComprehensiveReviewof Expenditure, by September 2016, to underpinnew3-yeardepartmentalspendingceilings,for2017,2018 and 2019, to be published in Budget 2017, toallocateresourcesinlinewiththenewProgrammeforGovernment.

Competitive Funding: The Department of PublicExpenditureandReformwillbemandatedtoreformthe annual estimates process to drive the use of“competitive funding”acrossalldepartments in thebudgetaryprocess,therebyrewardingpublicserviceagenciesandbodiesthatcollaborateandinnovateindesigninganddeliveringsolutionstocomplexsocialandeconomicproblems.

Better Regulation: We will mandate the CabinetSecretariat within the Department of An Taoiseachto act as a centre of expertise for, and enforcecompliance with, the regulatory impact assessmentprocedures for all major regulatory and legislativeproposals.Topromotethebetterregulationagendathe Taoiseach will also host an annual meeting ofeconomic regulators to discuss ways to promotegreaterefficiencyintheregulatedindustries.

Programme for Government Office: We willstrengthentheroleoftheProgrammeforGovernmentofficeintheDepartmentofAnTaoiseachandgiveittheresponsibilityto:

•Oversee the delivery of the Programme forGovernment and keep the Cabinet informed ondeliveryoftheGovernment’skeypriorities

•Coordinate the work of new Programme forGovernmentDeliveryUnits ineachdepartment toensure effective implementation of governmentcommitments and that departmental work plansreflectstrategicpriorities



semi-stateandasapolicymaker.Lineministerswillremain responsible for policy matters in transport,water,energy,forestryetc.

NewERAwillbeaskedtosetoutanewdividendpolicyfor the commercial semi-states to increase overalldividend receipts. NewERA will also be mandatedtoprepareanewcomprehensive5-yearstrategybyMarch 2017 for the portfolio of commercial semi-states to ensure maximum coherence, cooperationand synergy in the delivery of renewable energy,broadband and infrastructure services. The cabinethandbookwillbechangedtorequirethateveryyearwhen theannual report andfinancial statementsofeach semi-state are presented to cabinet, they willbe accompanied by an analysis by NewERA of thefinancialstatementsandcompanystrategy.

eGovernment for the 21st Century: Fine Gael willmandatetheDepartmentofPublicExpenditureandReform to publish, by March 2017, an eGovernmentstrategywiththegoalofmovingIrelandintotheTop5 internationally within a decade. This strategy willemphasise an “Agile IT” approach to both systemdesign and implementation, and partnerships withothercountrieswhohaverelevantexperienceinthedeliveryofeffectiveeGovernment.

We will set a deadline of end 2017, by which allsignificantgovernmenttransactionswithbusinesswillbeavailableonline.ThiswillreducetheadministrativeburdenforsmallIrishbusinesses.

DataAnalytics inthePublicSector:Wewillensuregovernment departments and agencies meet theirobligationstoprotectpersonaldatathatisentrustedtothembycitizens.WewillalsoexpandtheremitoftherecentlyestablishedIrishGovernmentEconomicandEvaluationServicetoincludeacentreofexcellenceindataanalytics inordertoprovideskillsandservicesacrossallgovernmentdepartmentsandagencies.

ProvidingtheSkills foraDigitalFuture:Aspartofour investment programme, we have committedtoupgradeschool ICTandto install robustwirelessnetworksinallschoolsunderourDigitalStrategyforSchools.ThisinvestmentwillprovidetheinfrastructuretosupportICTskillsontheschoolscurriculaandwillencouragemorecomputercodingclubsthroughoutnationalschools.

pubLIC SERvICE NuMbERS, pAy AND pENSIONSAnAdditional10,183FrontlinePublicServants: FineGaelplanstohireanadditional10,183doctors,nurses,teachers,Gardaíandotherfrontlineprofessionalstoaddresstheneedsofagrowingandageingpopulation,comprising:

•3224Teachers

•2,800Nurses

•600HSEconsultants,otherdoctorsanddentists

•1,000Otherhealthandsocialcareprofessionals

•1,800Gardaí

•217Speechandlanguagetherapists

•500Socialworkers

•42NEPSpsychologists

OngoingPublicServiceRecruitment:Afteryearsofblanketrecruitmentfreezesacrossthepublicserviceasaresultoftheeconomiccrisis,wearecommittedtoallowingpublicservicebodiestobeginnewhiringprogrammesthatbringnewskills,energyandvitalityintothepublicservice.

PublicSectorEfficiencyandReformPlan:Tocontainthegrowthofpublicservicenumbersattheselevels,even as the economy and population grow, we willmandatetheDepartmentofPublicExpenditureandReformtoprepareanewoverarchingPublicSectorEfficiency and Reform Plan by September 2016,comprising:

•A new shared services plan, to be prepared andimplementedbytheNationalSharedServicesOffice(NSSO),toextendsharedservices,onamandatorybasis,toallpublicservicebodiesinareasofHumanResources,Finance,PensionAdministration,Payrolland ICT. We will legislate to put the NSSO on astatutoryfooting.

•Afurtherreductioninduplicationofactivitiesacrossnumerouspublicbodiesthrough:

•ConsolidationofprocurementundertheOfficeofGovernmentProcurement(OGP),whichwillbeputonastatutoryfooting


PublicSectorPensions:FineGaelwill,by2021,reversethe public service pension reductions introducedduringthecrisis,prioritisingintheearlyyearsthoseinreceiptoflowpensions.

DEvOLvING pOWER TO FRONTLINE DECISION MAKERSFrontline professionals in the community are in abetter position to prioritise resources and drivechanges than central government departments.Under our new Earned Autonomy Programme, wewill give schools, hospitals and other public servicebodies new freedoms – within strict budgets andnewaccountabilitysystems–tosettheirownstaffingneeds, automate routineprocesses andadaptworkpracticestolocalstaffandcustomerneeds.

EarnedAutonomyforPublicServiceBodies:Agenciesacrossthepublicservicethatengageproactivelywithsharedservicesandotherefficiencyinitiativeswillgetdevolvedauthority–withinstrictoverallbudgetcaps– to recruit staffandadaptemploymentconditionsto localstaffandcustomerneeds.WewillmandatetheDepartmentofPublicExpenditureandReformtoprepare,within6months,aplantodevolvedecision-makingpowers–withinoverallguidelinesagreedbyGovernment–topublicservicebodies,includingonthestaffmixandsomeareasofpaysetting.Wewillbeginthisprocessby:

•MovingfromcapsonnumberstobudgetcapsforIDAIreland,EnterpriseIreland,TourismIrelandandeconomicregulators

•Freeinguniversitiesfromcentralisedhumanresourcecontrols

•GivingHospitalGroupsandTrusts the freedomtodeterminetheirstaffmix

•Givingschoolprincipalsmorediscretionastohowtheirschool’sbudgetisdeployed

Linking Increments to Performance: Fine Gaelwill empower public service managers to rewardstaff delivery and excellence by ensuring that payincrements are awarded on merit. We will mandatetheDepartmentofPublicExpenditureandReformtorecommend,byend2016,anewmodelofdevolved

•A rationalisation of the number of economicregulators,tobesetoutinanewWhitePaperon Economic Regulation to be published by2017

•Afurtherconsolidationofallbusinesslicensingactivitybypublicbodies–onamandatorybasis– under the Integrated Licensing ApplicationSystem

•Consolidation of all means testing under asinglenationalbody

•Examiningmechanismsbywhichresponsibilityfor collecting commercial rates may bemoved from local authorities to the RevenueCommissioners

•A new programme of external service provisionwhere this offers demonstrable savings for thetaxpayer, to be published by the Department ofPublicExpenditureandReformbytheendof2017

•Areductioninthenumberofadministrativegradesacross the civil service and other public servicebodies,tobeagreedbyGovernmentbytheendof2017

•Reducing the excessive bureaucracy in therelationship between public bodies and non-governmentorganisations(NGOs),bycoordinatingallpublicfundingforanyNGOthroughonepublicbody, building on the “Benefacts” partnershipinitiative

Public Sector Pay: As the economy recovers, it isrightforpublicservantstoseekgradual,sustainablepayrecovery.FineGaelwillhonourthetermsoftheLansdowneRoadAgreement.

Public Service Remuneration Commission: Wewill establish a new statutory Public ServiceRemuneration Commission, within 6 months, asan independent statutory body, comprising solelyindependent experts, that will publish analysis andrecommendations on future pay determination totheGovernment inadvanceoftheexpirationoftheLansdowneRoadAgreement(September2018).OurLong Term Economic Plan includes a provision toaccommodatethecostsofanewpublicsectorpayagreement.



performance assessment focused on identifyingexcellent performance, leadership potential andunder-performance. The Department will policethis new system and publish regular reports on itsimplementation for scrutiny by the Oireachtas andthepublic.

Ending the Recruitment Embargo: We will replacethe recruitment embargo faced by public servicebodies, which is restrictive and bureaucratic, witha new Payroll Control Framework, which requiresdepartments and agencies to commit to keepingpayrollbudgetswithinagreedceilingsand imposesfinancialandothersanctionswheretheseceilingsarebreached.

ExpenditureCeilings:Togivedepartmentsandotherpublic service bodies adequate planning horizons,we will legislate to reinforce the credibility of themulti-annual expenditure ceilings. We will introducenew Standing Orders in the Oireachtas which willrequirespecial legislationtochangeadepartmentalexpenditureceilingoutsideofa3-yearComprehensiveReviewofExpenditureandawrittenexplanationfromtheMinisterforPublicExpenditureandReformtotheDáiltoexplainthespecialcircumstancesrequiringthechange.

CIvIL AND pubLIC SERvICE REFORM AND ACCOuNTAbILITyCivil Service Performance and Accountability:With more autonomy and power must come moreaccountability.Wewilllegislateforanewcivilserviceperformance and accountability framework by end2017,whichwillclarifytherespectiveresponsibilitiesof ministers and civil servants. Ministers and civilservantswillpresentbi-annualreportstotherelevantOireachtasCommitteesontheperformanceoftheirdepartment against Programme for Governmentcommitmentsandannualworkprogrammetargets.

Civil Service Renewal: Fine Gael is committed toimplementingthefourkeyareasidentifiedintheCivilServiceRenewalPlan:(i)Aunifiedcivilservice,(ii)Aprofessionalcivilservice,(iii)Aresponsivecivilservice,(iv)Anopenandaccountablecivilservice.OuraimistoimplementthePlan’s25actionsbytheendof2016.

Public Service Disputes: Fine Gael will remove allindividual public sector industrial relations disputesfrom the Civil Service Conciliation and Arbitrationscheme.Suchdisputeswill infuturebeheardbyanAdjudication Officer of the Workplace RelationsCommission and on appeal to the Labour Court.Thiswillbringan increased levelof transparencytoindustrial relations disputes within the civil service,withallLabourCourtdecisionsbeingpublished.

Appointments to State Boards: All appointmentsto state boards will be advertised openly on www.stateboards.ie,operatedbythePublicAppointmentsService. Fine Gael will ensure that this websitebecomeswidelyusedandregularlyupdated.Wewillensurethatatleast40%ofallnewappointmentstostateboardsarewomen.

AttractingTalent into theCivil andPublicService:Fine Gael will extend open recruitment across allgradesofthecivilserviceandwiderpublicsector.

MORE DIvERSITy OF pubLIC SERvICE pROvISION AND MORE “ChOICE AND vOICE” FOR SERvICE uSERSResourcesgo furtherwhenusersofpublic serviceschooseorshapetheirdelivery,andarewellinformedabout quality. Rather than giving fixed budgets totraditionalpublicserviceproviders liketheHSEandVECs, we will commission more service delivery byalternativeproviders,andputmoreresourcesintothehandsofcitizenstoacquireservicesthataretailoredtobettersuittheirneedsandare lessexpensiveforthetaxpayer.

Public Service Commissioning: The Department ofPublic Expenditure and Reform will be mandatedtoleadadecisiveshifttowardstheincreaseduseofcommissioning in the delivery of services. Within 6months,theDepartmentwillprepareacoherentsetofbestpracticeprinciplesforcommissioners/fundersandserviceproviders.

School Reports and Patronage: We will requireschoolstopublishannualreports,takingintoaccountexamresults, facilities,extra-curricularactivities, ICTresources, and special education resources. We willalso deliver better choice, diversity and standards


•Ashifttowardsprimarycareandpopulationhealth,includingtheextensionoffreeGPcareatthepointofaccesstoallchildren

•Extrahomehelphoursandhomecarepackagesfortheelderly

pubLIC pROCuREMENTBetter value for the Taxpayer: As part of a newProcurementReformProgramme,wewillchargethenewlyestablishedOGPwithdeliveringcashsavingsinpublicprocurementacrossallstate-fundedbodiesof€100mperannumin2016-18(€300mintotal)andwith avoiding procurement cost inflation thereafter,through:

•EstablishingnewstructuresforprocurementacrosstheStatethatbringincreasedlevelsofcollaborationandconsistencytopublicserviceprocurement

•Strengtheningprocurementspendinganalyticsanddatamanagement

•Greater aggregation of purchasing across publicbodiestoachievebettervalueformoney

•Examiningthespecificationssetoutforgoodsandservices

•Evaluatingwaystoreduceprocurementdemand

•Puttinginplacededicatedteamsforsourcinggoodsandservicesatawhole-of-governmentlevelin:

•Facilitiesmanagement •Legalservices •ICT•Driving savings in IT consultancy by hiring more

specialiststaffoncontracts

•Reducing the cost of leasing buildings for stateagencies through the OPW’s rationalisationprogramme

SupportingIrishBusinesses:Thepublicprocurementmarket in Ireland is worth roughly €8bn a year, orover€20maday.WehavedevelopedanumberofinitiativestousepublicprocurementtosupportIrishbusinesses,including:

•“MeettheBuyer”conferenceswherebusinessescanmeetpublic sectorbuyers, learnwhat their needsforthecomingyearareandnetwork

byexpandingthediversityofschoolpatronageandethos.

Trainingvouchers:InsteadofgivingblockgrantstoEducationandTrainingBoards,wewillearmarkafixedproportion of SOLAS’s annual budget for TrainingVouchers that empower the unemployed to define– by agreement with their Intreo support officers –and acquire their own reskilling needs, and to helpfundnetworksofbusinessestocustomisetheirowntrainingrequirementsatlesscost.

IndividualisedBudgets:WewillalsogiveadultsandchildrenwithdisabilitiesandtheirfamiliestheoptionofIndividualisedBudgetstochoosetheservicestheywantandneed.

EndingBlockGrantsforHospitals:Insteadofgivingblock budgets to hospitals, we will put in place anactivity-basedfundingsystemthatpayshospitalsforthepatientstheytreat.

MORE FOCuS ON pREvENTION AND EARLy INTERvENTIONPreventionandEarlyInterventionUnit:FineGaelwillestablishadedicatedPreventionandEarlyInterventionUnit in the Department of Public Expenditure andReform.Itwillfocusonearlyinterventionpoliciesthatcanimprovethelifeoutcomesofchildreninparticular,aswellasthequalityoflifeforolderpeopledealingwith long-term conditions such as obesity, alcoholdependency and chronic illness. The unit will alsoproduce an annual report outlining the percentageof departmental budgets which is devoted to earlyinterventionandlong-termplanningonsocialissues,andrecommendchanges.ItwilloverseeandmonitortheimpactofanumberofnewPreventionandEarlyInterventionprogrammestobeimplementedbylinedepartments,mostnotably:

•The second pre-school year and other earlychildhood development interventions, includingadditional educational psychologists and speechandlanguagetherapists

•The sharing and implementation of learning fromAreaBasedChildhood(ABC)programmestootherinitiativesastheyexpandtheirreach



•AnewTenderAdvisoryService(TAS)whichallowsbusinesses to submit queries about tenders andreceiveaspeedyresponse

•WorkingwithInterTradeIrelandtoprovidegrants/training so that SMEs can upskill in terms ofprocurementrequirementsandtenders

Wewillbuildontheseinitiativesinthefollowingways:

•Facilitate quarterly meetings of the SME AdvisoryGroup, chaired by a Minister of State at theDepartment of Finance / Public Expenditure andReform,sothatthevoiceofIrishSMEscanbeheardbyGovernmentandtheOGP

•CommissionanexternalreviewoftheTASmodelby2017

•ConductaconsultationonthemeritsofestablishingaProcurementOmbudsman

•Refine the new procurement structures in place,such as the OGP, as they bed down and makeadjustmentsaccordingtobestinternationalpracticeandinconjunctionwithIrishbusinesses

SocialClauses:Werecognisethepotentialofpublicprocurement tohelpvulnerablegroups in society –peoplewithdisabilities,peoplewhoareunemployed,etc. We have established a Social Clauses workinggroup across government departments to examinewaysinwhichwecanappropriatelyusesocialclausesin procurement documents. Fine Gael will progressthisinconjunctionwithstakeholdersandinkeepingwithbestpracticeinothercountries.

Green Public Procurement: Given the scale of theGovernment’sannualprocurementbudget,theStatehastheabilitytosignificantlyshapetheenvironmentalperformance of activity in the Irish economy. FineGaelwillworktoensurethattheGreenProcurementGuidelines are appliedacross thepublic sector andwewillamendthoseguidelines,ifnecessary,toensuretheir implementation. This action complements ourcommitment todriveenergyefficiencies inall statebuildingssuchasschoolsanddepartments.


of €2m in additional funding to support regionaleconomicdevelopmentintheWestofIreland,whichtheWDCwilladministeracrossanumberofeconomicdevelopmentprojects.

Agriculture (see theAgricultureandFoodchapterfor further detail): Fine Gael has recognised thecrucialimportanceofagriculturetotheIrisheconomyandhasmaintainedastrategicandambitiousfocuson the development of the sector. Over a secondtermofgovernment,wewillcontinueto implementanambitious10-yearplanthatwillgrowemploymentby23,000andsubstantially increaseactivity in thishugelyimportantarea.

LEADER:WewillworkwithlocalauthoritiesandlocalactiongroupstoensurethatLEADERfundingdeliversthe maximum possible benefit for communitiesthroughout the country. In addition, as part of ourFuture Jobs Investment Plan we will seek to allowLEADER groups to bid for additional resources forprojectsthatsupportruraleconomicdevelopment.

Commission for the Economic Development ofRural Areas (CEDRA): Having already provided€3mtosupportCEDRA initiatives,wewill continueto implement the recommendations of the CEDRAreportandthenewRuralCharter,asappropriate, inorder to further support the long-term sustainabledevelopmentofruralIreland.

RegionalSpreadofGrowthandJobs(seetheJobs,EnterpriseandRegionalGrowthchapterforfurtherdetail):FineGaelwillcontinuetoimplementRegionalEnterprise Strategies to help spread growth to allareas.TheaimoftheRegionalEnterpriseStrategies,whichareat theheartof the latestActionPlan forJobs, is to encourage agencies and companies toworktogetherandbuildonthecompetitivestrengthsofeachregion.

Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) (see the Jobs,EnterpriseandRegionalGrowthchapterforfurtherdetail):DuringasecondtermofgovernmentwewillcontinuetodeveloptheLEOnetwork,toensurethatthestandardofservicedeliveredisconsistentacrossthe country and that any SME or prospective SMEthatvisitsitsLEOwillreceivehigh-qualitymentoring,support and seamless access to the wider rangeof Enterprise Ireland supports for high-potentialenterprises.

Western Development Commission: We will alsoreinforce the role of the Western DevelopmentCommission (WDC), so that it supports theimplementationoftheRegionalEnterprisestrategiesintheWestandNorth-West.Aspartofthis,theWDCwill be given a specific mandate to stimulate thedevelopment of enterprise networks in these tworegions and to stimulate innovative approaches todevelopment.Thiswillbuildontherecentallocation

Rural Ireland is alive, but is changing. Fine Gael will continue to put in place measures to revitalise rural Ireland during a second term of government so that the recovery is felt inside every doorstep, in every community, in Ireland. Fine Gael will ensure that rural Ireland is supported, so that it can achieve its full potential across a wide-ranging spectrum of areas.

24.Rural Ireland



fine gael will continue to put in place measures to revitalise rural Ireland during a second term of government so that the recovery is felt inside every doorstep, in every community, in Ireland.


ImpactAssessment:Aspartofoursmarterregulationagenda, Fine Gael will step up the use of impactassessments across Government, driven by a newspecialisedsectionwithintheCabinetSecretariat.Ournew impactassessmentguidelineswillhavetotakeaccountof impactsonrural Irelandaswellasothersocio-economicfactors.

village/TownRenewalScheme:Wehavecommittedfundingoftosupporttownandvillagerenewalaspartofaconcertedefforttosupportthedevelopmentofruraltownsandvillages.Thecentralaimoftheschemeis to support the revitalisation of towns/villages inordertoimprovethelivingandworkingenvironmentof theircommunitiesand increase theirpotential tosupport increasedeconomicactivity intothefuture.The focus for improvements eligible under thisschemewill extend to theenhancementofvillages,smalltownsandthesurroundingcountryside.

Creditunions(seetheBankingchapterforfurtherdetail):FineGaelwillcontinuetosupporttheinvaluableroleofcreditunionsinIreland.Werecognisethatthesectorrequiresfurthersupporttohelpovercomethesignificantchallengesitfaces.FineGaelwillrolloutanumberofinitiativestofurtherstrengthenthecreditunions’crucialroleinruralIreland.

Technological universities: Fine Gael continues tosupport the creation of Technological Universities,which will be linked to industry and will have anenormousimpactonourcapacitytocreateandretainjobs in regions. We will prioritise those institutionswith clear ambitions and plans for the furtheringof industry-relevant technological research andeducation.

RuralTransport:FineGaelrecognisestheimportanceoftheRuralTransportProgramme,especiallyitsrolein protecting against rural isolation. Fine Gael willclosely monitor the progress of the new TransportCoordination Unit structure and ensure that thescheme is adequately funded, to best meet ruraltransportneeds.

Rural Buses: During a second term, Fine Gael willimprove integration in the rural bus network. Thisincludespublicbuses,schooltransportandtheHSEtransport networks, thereby increasing efficiencies

forboththepassengerandtaxpayer.Thiswillmakeexisting routes more sustainable and open up thepotentialfornewroutestobeestablished.

RuralHackneys: Inorder to increasethetakeupofruralhackneylicenses,wewillreviewtheregulationsgoverning them, so as to allow more areas to beserved.

Community Involvement Schemes (CIS) and LocalImprovementSchemes(LIS):Wewillprovidefundingfor Community Involvement schemes and LocalImprovementSchemes,onanannualbasis.Aspartofourcommitment to localgovernment reformwewillalsogivecouncilsgreaterdiscretioninhowtheyspendtheirmoneyonlocalandregionalroads.

Greenways(seetheTourismandSportchapterforfurtherdetail):Duringasecondtermofgovernment,FineGaelwillbuildonthesuccessofthedevelopmentoftheGreenwaynetworkandestablishacentralfundforsupportingthenetworkacrossthecountry.Whilewewillcontinuetoexpandthenetwork,wearealsoconsciousoftherightsoffarmersandlandownersandwillworkwiththemtoensurethattheexpansionofthenetworkisbeneficialforbothusersandlandowners.

Regional Airports (see the Transport chapter forfurtherdetail):Wewillinvest€28mundertheCapitalPlanforsafetyandsecurityenhancementsacrosstheregionalairports.WewillalsolooktoestablishafundtoassistdevelopingnewflightroutesfromallairportsoutsideofDublin.

Spreading Growth in Tourism throughout Ireland(see the Tourism and Sport chapter for furtherdetail):DuringasecondtermofgovernmentwewillbuildonsuccessessuchastheWildAtlanticWaytodrivetourismtoallpartsofthecountry,inaccordancewiththeirpotential.

Post Offices: Post offices are a local institution inhundreds of towns and villages throughout thecountry.FineGaelhasendeavouredtohalttherapiddecline inourpostofficenetworkwhichtookplaceduring the 2000s under Fianna Fáil. We recognisethat post offices face unprecedented challenges, ina climate of rapidly changing mail trends. We havejust renewed the Department of Social Protection’scontract for cash social welfare payments at post



Supporting Islands and Costal Areas: Fine Gael iscommittedtosustainingvitalpublicservices,investinginanddevelopingourislandandcostalcommunitiesintothefuture.

Broadband(seetheConnectedIrelandchapterforfurtherdetail):WithinthenextDáil term,FineGaelguaranteestodelivernext-generationbroadbandtoeveryhouseholdandbusinessinthecountry.Notown,villageorparishwillbeleftbehindundertheNationalBroadband Plan (NBP) through a combination ofindustry and State investment, we will ensure that85%ofpremises in Irelandwill haveaccess tohighspeedbroadbandby2018,with100%accessby2020.

PublicHouses:FineGaelrecognisestheeconomicandsocialrolethatthelocalpubplaysinsustainingruralcommunities.FineGaelwillsupportpubstodiversifytheirrangeofservicesandproducts.Aspartofthissupport we will endeavour to deliver high-quality,high-speedbroadbandtoeverypubinthecountryby2020aspartofourNationalBroadbandPlan.Wewillalso remove the rateofduty forpublicans’ licencesfor premises with an annual turnover of less than€190,500.

offices,whichin2015wasworthapproximately€54m,with over 38 million social welfare payments beingmadeinpostofficesthroughoutthecountry.WewillswiftlyactontherecommendationsofthePostOfficeBusiness Development Group by supporting theintroductionandrollout,byAnPost,ofan“ePaymentAccount” in2016, toenhancepostofficeactivity infinancial services and increase footfall. We will alsosupport the establishment of a post office networkrenewalprocess,toreportwithin6months,tobuildonAnPost’sexisting5-yearstrategyforthenetwork.

Rural General Practice: Fine Gael recognises theimportanceofmaintainingand sustainingageneralpractitioner in rural communities. Therefore wesupportproposalsaimedatincentivisingruralgeneralpractice,withthefirstmeasurescommencingin2016.

Arts:InrecognitionofthecrucialrolethattheArtsplayincommunitiesacrossthecountry,wewillintroducea new small grants scheme to provide essentialupgradestoexistingregionalartsandculturecentres.We will also boost supports to facilitate increasedloansbetweenourNationalCultural Institutionsandournetworkof regionalmuseums.DuringasecondtermwewillalsoexpandtheHistoricTownsInitiativetoincludeanadditional15towns.


Thisgrowthwillbebuiltoninnovation,researchandthesustainableuseofourlargestnaturalresource:thesea that surroundsus.Areas suchasoceanenergy,shipping,marinetourism,sportandleisure,offshoreoil and gas, seafood, marine telecoms and marinesafetyareallexcitinggrowthareasthatwillresultinthedevelopmentofthebroaderblueeconomy.

The structures are in place across Governmentto deliver on the ambition of HOOW through across-departmental Marine Coordination Group.Fine Gael will ensure this group continues to bechaired by a senior minister and the ambition andrecommendations stemming from the taskforcesunderpinningtheGroupareprogressedtodeliveronourambitionforthemarine.

Webelievethatthemarineeconomycanbeamajorcontributingfactortonewgrowthinanoverall Irisheconomic context in the next 5 years and we willprioritisethesectoraccordingly.

FOOD WISE 2025 – SEAFOOD One of the most significant growth areas in ourstrategyfortheagri-foodindustry,FoodWise2025,istheseafoodsector.Withanincreaseof37%inseafoodexportssince2011andanestimated40milliontonnesofseafoodrequiredgloballyby2030,ourtargetisto

increasetheshareofvalue-addedseafoodby30-50%,maximisingthevaluefromourrawmaterialbase.

Wewillinvest€24mfromtheSeafoodDevelopmentProgramme in seafood processing to supportinvestment in capital infrastructure, innovationand business planning, scaling and new marketdevelopment.

INvESTMENT AND LEADERShIpFine Gael has secured an EU co-funded SeafoodDevelopment Programme worth €240m, whichwillbecentraltoachievingourambitionforgrowthin theseafoodsector.This ismore thandouble thesizeofthepreviousCommonFisheriesPolicy(CFP)fund.This investmentwillbetargetedatarangeofsupports for fishermen to adapt to the challengesof thenewCFP,seafoodprocessingandmarketing,aquaculture, inshorefisheries,FisheriesLocalActionGroups(FLAGS),datacollectionandenforcement.

We will also invest in knowledge transfer, enginereplacement, change management, new entrants,selective gear development, decommissioning, fleetimprovement,mutualfundsandstorageaid.

Fine Gael has prioritised the marine at the Cabinettableduringthepast5yearsandwewillcontinuetodoso.

Fine Gael has published the first ever blueprint for the marine sector, Harnessing our Ocean Wealth (HOOW). It makes clear our ambitions for the sector: to double the value of the blue economy by 2030 and deliver 29,000 additional jobs across the various maritime sectors.

25.Seafood and the Marine



Brussels and more decision making regionally, withothercountrieswhoshareourfishinggrounds.

HaguePreferences:WhilenegotiatingthenewCFP,Fine Gael prioritised the retention of the HaguePreferences, which were strengthened by the CFPprocess. This will continue to be of fundamentalsignificance in future fisheries negotiations,guaranteeing Ireland a better share of stocks whentheyareatlowlevels.

SuppORTING GROWTh IN ThE SEAFOOD SECTOR Aquaculture:Significantpotentialexistsforgrowthintheaquaculturesector.Wehavecleared300licencesfromthebacklogcausedbyyearsofenvironmentalneglect and will continue this work. We havecommitted€20mtothenewNationalStrategicPlanforAquaculture.

knowledge Gateway: We have committed €8.2mfrom the Seafood Development Programme to theaquaculturesectortosupportresearch,newspeciesdevelopment and commercialisation, managementofdiseaseandenvironmentalandbusinessplanningadvice.

International Ocean Laboratory: Subject to EUfundingandsupportFineGaelwilldevelopanIrish-ledinternationaloceanresearchlaboratory,changingthedynamicinhowweproducefoodatseabyfocusingonresearchintosustainablenewapproachesviacuttingedgeR&Dintheaquaculturesector.Thisprojectwillbe developed with a focus on sustainability and inconsultationwithenvironmentalistsandmembersoftheresearchcommunity.

MarineSafety:Toomany familieshaveexperiencedthetragedyoflosingsomeoneatsea.Wepublishedamarinesafety strategyandwill constantlyupdatepolicy as well as invest €5.6m from the EuropeanMaritimeandFisheriesFund(EMFF) inthefisheriessectorforinvestmentonfleetimprovementandsafetymeasures,toreducethenumberoffatalitiesatsea.

InshoreFisheries:FineGaeliscommittedtoensuringthatsmallerinshoreboatsaregivennewopportunitiesforcommercialfishingbydevelopingsustainablenew

ThE NEW COMMON FIShERIES pOLICy (CFp)EndingDiscards:ThenewCommonFisheriesPolicy(CFP)wassuccessfullyrenegotiatedbyFineGaelandensures a positive outlook for the fishing industry.CentraltotheCFPistheendingofdiscards,rebuildingstocksandgeneratinghigherquotas,ensuringmoreprofitable livelihoods for fishermen. €45m will bemadeavailabletosupporttheindustryinadaptingtothenewCFP.Additionalquotatocovertheincreasedlandingshasbeennegotiated.For2016,thisuplifthasresultedina10%increaseinwhitefishquota,withavalueof€9m.

SettingquotasBasedonScience:WearecommittedtotheinternationallyrecognisedconceptofMaximumSustainableYield.Thiswillmeansettingquotasthatmaximise the available fish for fishermen to catch,ensuring stable fish stocks on the basis of science.Proof that the new CFP is working can be seen inthemostrecentnegotiationofincreasestowhitefishquotaswherethediscardsbanapplies,wherequotaswere increased for stocks covered by the discardsban.

Fine Gael will continue to protect fish stocks whilenegotiatinghardtoprovideforcontinuedgrowthintheIrishfishingindustry.Wehavecommitted€40mfrom the Seafood Development Programme to thecollectionofscientificdatatoachievethisobjective.Healthystockswillmeanagrowingfishingindustry;thisisofbenefittoeveryone.

QuOTAS – A NATIONAL ASSET UnlikeothercountriesintheEUwhohaveprivatisedownershipofquota,wewill legislate toprotectfishquotas as a national asset to be managed in theinterestofhealthystocksandthefishingindustry.FineGaelwillalsoenshrineinlegislationtheprotectionofquotasasanationalasset.

RegionalDecisionMaking:FineGaeliscommittedtomakingdecisionsonfishingclosetohome.Nolongerwill we have a one-size-fits-all approach. We havenegotiated as part of the CFP a regional decision-making model, which means less control from


we believe that the marine economy can be a major contributing factor to new growth in an overall Irish economic context in the next 5 years and we will prioritise the sector accordingly.



sectorsandinvestinginmarketingtobackthemup;for example, a mackerel line fishery. We developedthefirsteverNationalInshoreFisheriesForumandsixregionalfora,representingthesector.Wewillprovide€6mfromtheSeafoodDevelopmentProgrammetosupport enhanced management and conservationof inshore stocks, including v-notching of lobster,more selective fishing gear and preparation andimplementation of management plans for inshorestocks.

Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs): WeestablishedsixFisheriesLocalActionGroups(FLAGs),tofocusondeveloping localmarineeconomiesandwill invest €12m from the Seafood DevelopmentProgramme in FLAGs to support 1,000 projects infishingcommunities,startingin2016.

MarineTaxation:FineGaelhascarriedoutthefirsteverreviewofmarinetaxationpolicyacrossGovernment,publishedin2015.FineGaelwillimplementmeasuresaimedatgrowingthepotentialofmarine industriesandcreatingjobsincoastalcommunities.Inparticular,FineGaelwillinvestigatethepossibilityofintroducingaseafarer’sallowance,inlinewithotherEUMemberStates.

Harbours:FineGaelhas invested€59minharbourssince2011andwewillcontinuetoinveststrategicallyinthedevelopmentofharboursincoastalcommunities.

Marine Leisure: We recognise that significantpotentialexistsinthemarineleisureareafortourismaroundourcoastline.WewilldriveastepchangeinthedevelopmentofthissectorundertheambitoftheMarineCoordinationGroup,tomaximisethepotentialopportunitiesthatexist.


pay.ExistingFamilyIncomeSupplementbeneficiarieswillhave theoptionof transitioningto theWorkingFamilyPaymentifitmakesworkpaymore,otherwisetheircurrent supportswillbemaintained.FineGaelwill also make available further training and skillsdevelopment opportunities for those in low-incomejobs. We will mandate the Low Pay Commission tomake recommendations to the Government on thephasedintroductionoftheWorkingFamilyPayment,from2018.

MinimumWage:FineGaelwillincreasetheminimumwage to €10.50 per hour, during a second term. Itwill still be a matter for the Low Pay Commissionto make annual recommendations on the level ofadjustmenteachyear.WewillcutEmployers’PRSIforlow-incomeworkerstomitigatethecostofminimumwage increases, in order to protect jobs. ForcingunaffordableincreasesintheminimumwageonsmallIrishbusinesseswillcostjobsandsetbackrecovery.

Employers’ PRSI: To mitigate the impact on jobsandsmallemployersof further, sensible rises in theminimumwageto€10.50perhour,wewillcutthelower8.5%rateofEmployers’PRSIto6.5%andincreasethe

MAKING WORK pAyThe Working Family Payment: We will roll out anew Working Family Payment that promotes workoverwelfare.Targetedat low-incomefamilies, itwillsupplement, on a graduated basis, the income of ahousehold,whileatthesametimeincentivisingmorehoursand full-timework. Itwill ensure thatparentsworking more than 15 hours a week will receive atleast€11.75anhour.

The current Family Income Supplement createsmajorhurdlesforunemployedparentstransitingfromjobseekerswelfarepaymentsintowork,andalsolocksmany parents into working fewer hours. Under thecurrentset-up,ifsomeoneonJobseeker’sAllowanceworks more than 3 days they are cut off welfareentirelyand if theywork less than 19hoursaweektheydonotreceiveanyincomesupportatall.

BybetteraligningtheWorkingFamilyPaymentwithexistingjobseekersupports,therewillbeaseamlesstransitionfromwelfaretoworkforfamiliesandmanyofthewelfaretrapsfamiliesfacewillbeeliminated.Thisnewin-workpayment,inconjunctionwithourtaxplanandincreasesintheminimumwage,willmakework

The Government has started the job of overhauling the social welfare system, transforming it from a passive welfare system into an active and responsive employment service. Rather than sustain a system that encourages welfare dependency, we want to create a system that fosters independence through retraining and employment. In the next government we need to be more radical to end the plight of jobless households.

26.Social Welfare, Making Work pay and pensions



rather than sustain a system that encourages welfare dependency, we want to create a system that fosters independence through retraining and employment.


lowerratethresholdto€426perweek(from€376).We will still be guided by the recommendations oftheLowPayCommissiononthephasinginoftheseminimumwagechangesduringatermofoffice.

WelfareTraps:Tobreakthecycleofjoblessness,wewilldomoretoclosedownpovertytraps:

•HousingTraps:RecipientsofRentSupplementarefacedwiththeworstwelfaretrap,withloneparentsand larger families at particular risk. Fine Gael willrolloutnationwidetheHousingAssistancePayment,which provides housing support based on incomeandnotemploymentstatus.

•HealthcareTraps:WewillextendfreeGPcare forthechildrenofallworkingfamilies.

•ChildcareTraps:Parentsneedaffordablechildcarethatmakesworkpayfortheirfamily.Weunderstandthat at each stage of a child’s development theirneedschangeandwewillprovidequalityandflexibleoptionsforfamiliestoavailof.Formoreinformation,pleaseseeourchapterFamiliesandChildcare.

Pathways to Work Plan for Jobless Households:Ireland’s historically high prevalence of joblesshouseholds isthebiggestcauseof inequality inoursociety.DuringtheheightoftheCelticTiger,Irelandexperienced one of the highest rates of joblesshouseholdsinEurope,evenwhenunemploymentwasatitslowest.BuildingonthesuccessofthePathwaystoWorkActionPlanduringourfirstterm,FineGaelwill publish a specific Pathways to Work Plan forJobless Households. It will have specific targets forkey groups of individuals within jobless householdsandupdatestothePlanwillbepublishedonaregularbasis.

ACTIvATIONBreakingtheCycleofIntergenerationalJoblessness:Noyoungpersonwantstostarttheirworkinglifeonthedole.Youngpeoplewhoareunemployedandnotineducationortrainingriskenteringacycleoflifelongjoblessnessandlowincome.BuildingonthesuccessfulBallymunYouthGuaranteepilotschemewewill roll

outaguaranteescheme forall 18and 19yearolds,whereagood-qualityofferofemployment,continuededucation, an apprenticeship or a traineeship willbe made available within a period of 4 months ofbecomingunemployedorleavingformaleducation.

ASocialContractwiththeLong-Termunemployed:Fine Gael will provide every long-term jobseekerwithacaseworkertohelpthembackintowork,withindividualengagementsandworkprogressionplans.Engagementwiththeseservicesisvital,whichiswhyFine Gael introduced the Social Contract of rightsandresponsibilities,signedbyalljobseekers.Wewillreviewthecurrentregulationsforcaseworkersinorderto streamline the application of penalty rates andpaymentsuspensionsforthosewhorefusetoengageortakeupgenuineoffersoftrainingoremployment.For those who are long-term unemployed, acaseworkerwillbeempoweredtocompulsorilyrefersomeone to a work placement programme such asGateway or Tús, or risk suspension of their welfarepayment.

Incentivising Employers to Hire the Long-Termunemployed (JobsPlus):Wewill put the long-termunemployed at the top of the queue for new jobsby increasingthe incentiveforemployersundertheJobsPlusscheme.Wewillincreasethelevelofpaymentfrom€7,500to€8,500forhiringsomeonebetween1yearand2yearsunemployed,andfrom€10,000to€12,000forsomeoneover2yearsunemployed.

Providing Caseworkers for all Long-Termunemployed (JobPath): Fine Gael has sought toensure that Intreo centres are adequately staffedwithcaseofficerstomaximisereactivation.ThenewJobPathinitiativewillseeapproximately1,000morestaff support the unemployed, bringing the ratio ofclientstocaseofficersfrom500:1towards200:1.FineGael will prioritise the implementation of JobPathandkeepitunderreviewinlightofchanginglabourmarkettrends.

JobBridge: JobBridge has acted as a successfulbridge from welfare to work. Independent researchhas shown that over 60% of participants go on to



underminesconfidence in the socialwelfare systemanddrainsmoneyawayfromthosewhoneedit.Inthecaseofwelfarepayments,FineGaelwillincreasefrom15%to25%theamountthatcanberecoveredfromaperson’sweeklypayment.FineGaelwillcontinuetosupportandfundtheSpecialInvestigationsUnitthattargetssystematicfraudandwewillfurtherencouragepeopletoavailofanonymousreportingmechanisms.

Supply Once Means Test: Fine Gael will develop anewsystemofmeanstestingacrossGovernmentthatonly requires applicants to submit their informationonceforittobeusedbyanyagencythatanapplicantwishestoreceiveaservicefrom.

pENSIONS REFORMOnly half of the Irish workforce has supplementarypension coverageand, as life expectancy continuesto rise, the risk is that too many people will haveinsufficient savings to adequately replace theirpre-retirement incomes. A central element of our LongTermEconomicPlantokeeptherecoverygoingisourcommitmenttomakingthenecessarypolicychangestoaddressthe“pensionsgap”inawaythatisfairandaffordableforyoungandold,menandwomen,andforpublicandprivatesectorworkers.

StatePension:Wewillincreaseboththecontributoryandnon-contributoryStatepensionsbyatleast€25perweekby2021(anincreaseof€5perweekeveryyear).

Clarity on State Pension Entitlements: We willrequire the Department of Social Protection toprovide contributors, from a certain age, automaticstatements on social insurance contribution historyandexpectedentitlements totheStatepension.Bydoing this, every individual will know in good timethe additional contributions required to access thisvaluableentitlement.

We will also require the Department of SocialProtectiontoreview,within6months,thecalculationofStatepension,andthecostsandbenefitsassociatedwithgivingparents(mostlywomen)creditsforyearsspent“homemaking”outsidethepaidworkforce.

paid employment shortly after their internships,which compares favourably to similar schemes inothercountries.FineGaelrecognisestherehasbeensome abuse of JobBridge by certain employers.Controlshavealwaysbeeninplacetopreventabuseof the system and we will adapt those controls astheschemeprogresses.Wewillcontinuetofundtheschemeintothefuture,adjustingitalongwithlabourmarkettrends.

Gateway: Fine Gael will continue to support theGateway scheme, which is designed to provideshort-term working opportunities for the long-termunemployed.Webelieve ithasworkedwellandwewill look to enhance the scheme as it takes root incommunitiesacrossthecountry.

Tús:LikeGateway,Túsisacommunityworkplacementschemedesignedtoprovideshort-termworkfortheunemployed.Webelieveitisrightandnecessarytooblige the long-term unemployed to take up suchoffersandgaintheexperienceandskillsnecessarytore-jointheworkforce.

WELFARE REFORMIntreo Offices: We have rolled out a new networkofIntreocentres,whicharejobsupportandwelfareofficesthatprovideemploymentandincomesupportstojobseekersinoneplace,forthefirsttime.FineGaelwantstobenchmarkthecentresatlocal,regionalandnational level and publish the results nationally toensuretargetsaremet.

Rewarding Work by Boosting Jobseeker’s Benefit:FineGaelwillreformJobseeker’sBenefittoprovideabettersafetynetforthoseexperiencingshortspellsofunemployment.AspartofFineGael’sreformstothetaxandsocialinsurancesystemwewill increaseJobseeker’s Benefit to €215 for the first 3 monthsofunemployment, reducing to€200 forbetween3and6monthsofunemploymentandrevertingtothestandardrateof€188after6months.

Social Welfare Fraud: Fine Gael adopts a zero-tolerance approach to social welfare fraud, which


Increasing Pension Coverage: We will construct anew “universal” supplementary pensions savingssystem to substantially increase supplementarypensions coverage among private sector workerswithin the lifetime of the next Dáil. We will requiretheInter-DepartmentalUniversalRetirementSavingsGroup, which has been working on this issue sincelate 2014, to finalise its report to Government onthe development of a Universal Retirement SavingsSchemewithin6months.

Public Service Pensions: Fine Gael will, by 2021,reverse the public service pension reductionsintroducedduring thecrisis,prioritising in theearlyyearsthoseinreceiptoflowpensions.Separately,wewillaskthePublicServiceRemunerationCommissiontomakerecommendations,byend2017,toensurethelong-termsustainabilityofpublicservicepensions,toreflectthevalueofpublicservicepensionsinoverallpublicserviceremunerationandtopromotegreatermobilitybetweenthepublicandprivatesectors.ThisworkshouldhavereferencetothedevelopmentofaUniversalRetirementSavingsScheme.

Reviewing Compulsory Retirement Ages: We willestablish an Inter-Departmental Group to review,within 6 months, whether compulsory retirementages,commoninthepublicandprivatesectors,arestillappropriate.

Pension Tracking Service: We will work with thePensionsAuthority,theRevenueCommissionersandthepensionsindustrytodevelopapensiontrackingservice,ideallyviaanonlineportal,whichwouldhelppeople track their pension benefits as they movethrough their career. We want to facilitate careermobility and eliminate red tape to make workplacepensions more attractive to both employees andemployers.

EuropeanPensionTrackingService:Aspartofourpush to attract emigrants home, we will supportefforts in Europe to introduce a European PensionTracking Service, helping mobile workers to keeptrackoftheirpensionastheymovejobswithintheEUandhelpingpensionproviderstokeepincontactwiththeircustomers.



In order to keep the recovery going, our infrastructure must be capable of meeting the demands of an expanding economy. fine gael is determined to meet those needs through a €10bn capital investment in transport over the next 7 years.


and supports more choice and competition in thebusmarket.WewillsupporttheroleoftheNationalTransport Authority in determining the appropriatemix of direct award and public service obligationcontractsforbusroutes.Thiswillallowustoprovidemoreroutesandchoicetothepublic.

Integrated Ticketing: Ireland is behind the curvewhen it comes to integrated ticketing. Fine Gael isdeterminedtoaddressthisbyfast-trackingtherolloutofLeapCardnationwide.

RuralTransport:FineGaelrecognisestheimportanceoftheRuralTransportProgramme,especiallyitsroleinprotectingagainstruralisolation.Wehaveradicallyrestructuredthescheme,puttingitonamoresecurefinancial footing. Fine Gael will closely monitor theprogress of the new Transport Coordination Unitstructureandensurethat thescheme isadequatelyfunded into the future to best meet rural transportneeds.

Rural Buses: Fine Gael will introduce improvedintegration in the rural bus network. This includespublicbuses,schooltransportandtheHSEtransportnetworks and will increase efficiencies for both thepassengerandtaxpayer.Thiswillmakeexistingroutes

pubLIC TRANSpORTPublicTransport Investment:Wewill invest€3.6bnacrossthelifetimeofthenextCapitalPlantoenableanumberofmajorpublictransportprojectstoproceed,andtofundadditionalcapacitytomeetexistingandfuture commuter needs. These will include the newMetroNorthandthecompletionofLUASCrossCity.

Inlinewiththesecommitments,wewillinstigateafullreviewofpublic transportpolicy toensure servicesare sustainable into the futureandaremeeting theneedsofamoderneconomy.

Accessibility:FineGaelwillcontinuetoinvesttomakepublictransportservicesmoreaccessibleforpeoplewithdisabilities.Examplesofsuchinvestmentincludeincreasedwheelchairaccesstobusandtrainstations,busfleetenhancementandaudioannouncementsontrainandbusservices,toaidthevisuallyimpaired.

We will also introduce a provision whereby taxicompanies who wish to bid for state procurementcontractsmustensurethataminimumof10%oftheirfleetiswheelchairaccessible.

Bus Competition: Fine Gael supports investment inournationalbusmarketforthebenefitofpassengers

During a second term of government Fine Gael will deliver a transport system that is better integrated, well maintained and which provides choice and value for customers throughout the country, while also helping in our efforts to combat climate change. In order to keep the recovery going, our infrastructure must be capable of meeting the demands of an expanding economy. Fine Gael is determined to meet those needs through a €10bn capital investment in Transport over the next 7 years.

27.Transport



moresustainableandopenupthepotentialfornewroutestobeestablished.

RuralHackneys: Inorder to increasethetakeupofruralhackneylicenses,wewillreviewtheregulationsgoverning them, so as to allow more areas to beserved.

Public Bike Schemes: During a second term ofgovernment,wewillsupporttheextensionofexistingpublic bike schemes and will also drive the rolloutof additional schemes in other urban areas. Publicbike schemes link up existing infrastructure, areenvironmentallyfriendly,andareinlinewithourvisionfora“HealthyIreland”.

GREEN TRANSpORTSustainable Transport: Investment in our publictransport system will uphold the principles of theGovernment’sSmarterTravelpolicy.UndertheCapitalPlan,€100misbeingcommittedtosmartertravelandcarbon reduction measures, including Greenways,to ensure that the transport sector makes a majorcontributiontoclimatechangemitigationtargets.

Electricvehicles:FineGaelwantsIrelandtobecomealeaderinthetake-upofelectricvehicles.Within6monthsofgovernmentwewillestablishadedicatedtaskforce to work on this goal, involving relevantgovernment departments, agencies, industry andrepresentativegroups.

Wewill implement the recommendationscontainedin the Government’s energy White Paper, Ireland’sTransition to a Low Carbon Energy Future 2015-2030,designedtoincreasethenumberoflowcarbonvehiclesontheroad.

Climate Change Mitigation Plans: As part of thefirst National Mitigation Plan we will focus on thedevelopment of a cost-effective policy platform forreducingemissionsandincreasingenergyefficiencyacross all transport modes. It will examine the roleof technology, sustainable landusepatterns,modalshift,traveldemand,alternativefueloptionsandtheimpactofproposedmeasuresonothernationalpolicyobjectives.

ROADSRoadsInvestment:Inasecondtermofgovernment,wewill adopta twin-track strategy tomaintainourexistingroadnetworktomeetclimateadaptationandEUstandardrequirements,whilealsoexpandingournationalroadsnetworktomeetourfutureeconomicneeds.

In the context of an improving economy, our roadnetwork is likely to come under considerably morestress.Todealwiththis,€4.4bnwillbeinvestedoverthe7yearsoftheCapitalPlantoensurethenetworkismaintainedandstrengthened.

In addition to a maintenance focus, we will alsomakeanumberoftargetedstrategicinvestmentsinnew national road upgrades, with €1.5bn allocatedunderthe2016-2022CapitalPlantowardsthesenewprojects,whicharespreadthroughoutthecountry.

Aspartofamid-termreviewoftheCapitalPlan,wewillalsoexamineiffundingallowsfortheprogressionoftheM20,linkingCorkandLimerick.

Community Involvement Schemes (CIS) and LocalImprovementSchemes(LIS):Wewillprovidefundingfor Community Schemes and Local ImprovementSchemes, on an annual basis. As part of ourcommitmenttolocalgovernmentreformwewillalsogive councils greater discretion in how they spendtheirmoneyonlocalandregionalroads.

Road Safety: During a second term of governmentwewillcommittoambitioustargetstoseektoreducedeathsonIrishroadsfrom166in2015tofewerthan125in2020.Consciousofthefactthatoneroaddeathis one too many, we will also leverage technologywhereverpossibletoincreasedriversafety,aswehavedoneinrelationtotestingforthepresenceofdrugs.

Wewillenforcenewlegislationagainstdrivingwhileundertheinfluenceofdrugs.Wewillestablisha“thirdpaymentoption”forFixedChargeNotices(FCNs)andthecreationofanintegrateddatabasethatcontainsvehicleownershipanddrivinglicenseinformation.

In tandem with this, we will consolidate all existingroad safety legislation into a single Act, helping tosafeguardagainsttheemergenceoflegalloopholes.


AIR AND SEA TRANSpORTAviation(seeTourismandSportchapter for furtherdetail): We will implement the National AviationPolicy infull,maintainingstateownershipofDublin,CorkandShannonairports,whileworkingtoimproveconnectivity and further fostering Ireland’s world-leadingaviationleasingindustry.

Maritime Safety: We will continue to invest in arobust maritime safety strategy that tackles therecurringfactorsthatcontributetomaritimefatalities,encourages those who take to the water to takemaritime safety seriously, and supports a bettermaritimesafetyculture.

Ports: We will implement the National Ports Policyin full, with particular emphasis on the completionofchangesinownershipstructuretoproperlyequipports to attract new investment. To this end, PortsofNationalSignificanceshallbesupported throughstateownership,whilePortsofRegionalSignificanceshallbetransferredtolocalauthoritycontrol.



TOuRISM The tourism sector has played a crucial role in theIrish economic recovery. Underpinned by strategicdecisions, suchas thezero-rated travel taxand theintroduction of a special 9% VAT rate, tourism hasthrivedduringthelast4years.Duringasecondtermofgovernment,FineGaelwillworktowardsachievingtheambitioustourismpolicygoalsthatwehavesetfor 2025. These include increasing revenue fromoverseasvisitorsto€5bn,growingemploymentinthetourismsectorto250,000(from200,000currently)and increasing thenumberofvisits to Ireland to 10million.

0%TravelTaxRate:FineGaelwillcontinuetomaintainthe 0% rate to ensure Ireland remains an attractivedestinationfortourists.

9%vATRate:Wewillretainthehugelysuccessful9%VATrate,providingthatpricesremaincompetitive.

ActivityandSportBasedTourism:Webelieve thatIreland is a fantastic location for activity and sportbased tourism and we will work with Fáilte Irelandtohelp themdevelopthissector further.Aswellaslookingtogrowthethrivingmarine,golfandanglingsector,thereissignificantpotentialgrowthintheareasofcycling,sailing,runningandinadventuresports.

Greenways:FineGaelinvestedapproximately€20min new Greenway development in recent years.We will build on the popularity of new Greenwaysby establishing a central fund in the Departmentof Transport, Tourism and Sport to support theconstruction of a Greenway network across thecountry.

Our long-term vision is for Greenways throughoutthecountry,promoting sustainable travel, increased

tourism and balanced regional development andforming a nationwide inter-connected network thatwillpromoteIrelandasaleadingcyclingandactivity-basedtourismdestination.Aspartofthisvision,wewillcompletetheAshtowntoAthlonesectionoftheDublin-GalwayGreenwayby2017.

While we will continue to expand the Greenwaynetwork,wearealsoconsciousoftherightsoffarmersand landowners and will work with them in thisrollouttoensurethattheexpansionofthenetworkisbeneficialforbothusersandlandowners.

MarketingIrelandasanAll-year-RoundDestination:Touristsvisiting Irelandtendtobeculturallycuriousand/or in search of adventure. We will do more tomarket Ireland as an all-year-round destination andFine Gael will work closely with Fáilte Ireland andTourism Irelandtomakethishappen.Specific focuswillbeplacedonbuildingonthesuccessoftheWildAtlanticWay,whichhasparticularpotentialasayear-rounddestination.

Marketing Ireland as a Destination for CruiseHolidays:Inordertofullyexploitthetourismpotentialthat Ireland’sharbours, coastlineandcanalnetworkoffers,FineGaelwillpromoteIrelandasadestinationforcruiseholidays,bothinoverseasmarketsandfordomestictourists.

Spreading Growth in Tourism throughout Ireland:The tourism sector is uniquely placed to make acontributiontoregionaldevelopment.DuringasecondtermofgovernmentwewillbuildonsuccessessuchastheWildAtlanticWaytodrivetourismtoallpartsofthecountry,inaccordancewiththeirpotential.

We will also further develop the Ireland’s AncientEastandDublin–ABreathofFreshAircampaignsto

28.Tourism and Sport


tohostmajor internationaleventswewill also seekto host other such events as opportunities presentthemselves.

Rugby World Cup 2023: Fine Gael will stronglysupport Ireland’s efforts to host the 2023 Men’sRugbyWorldCupandprovidetheassistanceneededtoproduceasuccessfulbid.

Legacy of the Gathering: Following on from thehighly successful year of The Gathering, Fine Gaelwill develop the legacy of networks The Gatheringhas created and continue to invest in local tourisminfrastructure.Tobuildonthis,wewillholdasuccessortoTheGathering,in2019.

SpORTConsciousofthesignificantsocialandhealthbenefitsthat participation in sport delivers, Fine Gael iscommitted to supporting sporting organisations intheireffortstoincreasesportingparticipationacrossthecountry.Makingimprovementsintheareawillbeakeyfactorintacklingthesignificantobesitychallengethat we will face in the future if present trendscontinue. A healthy Ireland will improve everyone’sphysicalandmentalwell-being,aswellasenhancingthesustainabilityoffuturepublichealthcosts.

Sports Capital Programme: Building on the €130minvestmentinsportscapitalprojectssince2011,FineGaelwillaimtoallocatesportscapitalgrantsonanannualised basis. By awarding sports capital grantson an annual basis, sports clubs and voluntary andcommunity organisations will be able to betterdevelop their plans and apply for such funding atthe most appropriate time, rather than potentiallysubmittingapplicationsbeforetheyareready,duetoafearthatasubsequentroundoffundingmightnotmaterialise.

Sport for All: Building on the proposals containedin theNationalPhysicalActivityPlan,FineGaelwilllaunchaprogrammeaimedatencouragingallcitizens

ensureallpartsofthecountrybenefitfromincreasedtourismlevelstothiscountry.

DublinAirport:WewilldevelopDublinasavibrantsecondaryhubthatwillcompeteeffectivelywiththeUK and other European airports for the expandingglobalaviationservicesmarket.

Cork Airport: Cork Airport’s unique position as a“gateway”toboththeWildAtlanticWayandIreland’sAncientEastisaclearadvantageandaplatformforgrowinginboundtourismtraffic.Theairportalsoplaysakeyroleasatourismandbusinessgatewayforthelocalregionanditsfurtherdevelopment,particularlywithregardtothedevelopmentofkeynichemarkets,willbesupported.

Shannon Airport: Fine Gael recognises ShannonAirport’sstrategicimportanceforconnectivityintheMid-West region. To further strengthen the airport,wewillsupportitsdevelopmentasanair-cargohub.WewillalsosupporttheairportasitseekstoincreasethenumberofaircraftusingUSpreclearance.Thesemeasureswillhelpunderpintheairport’sambitionstoexpandexistingoperationsanddevelopnewroutes.

Regional Airports: Fine Gael understands thecontinuedimportanceofDonegal,Kerry,IrelandWestAirportKnock(IWAK)andWaterfordairports,duetothelevelofinternationalconnectivitythattheybringtotheirrespectiveregions,bothintermsoftourismandbusiness.Tothisend,wewillinvest€28mundertheCapitalPlanforsafetyandsecurityenhancementsacross the regional airports. We will continue toprovidefundingtoassistdevelopingnewflightroutesfrom all airports outside of Dublin. This would besimilartoarecentUKinitiativewhichhasbeenshowntobepermissibleunderEUrules.

FlagshipEvents:Buildingon recentsuccesses,FineGaelwillcontinuetotargetthehostingofinternationalsporting and cultural events. This will include thealreadyannouncedhostingoftheBostonCollegevsGeorgiaTechAmericanFootballgame,andthe2017Women’sRugbyWorldCup.Havingprovenourability



toparticipateinsportingactivitiesonaweeklybasis.A fund will be established that could be accessedby voluntary organisations and sporting bodieswho can demonstrate that they can achieve clearobjectives in this area. Particular preference will begiven to organisations who can demonstrate thattheirprogrammeswillincreaseparticipationamongstwomenandindisadvantagedcommunities.

National Sports Policy: We will publish a NationalSportsPolicy,earlyinthenextDáilterm,tosupportsportacrosscommunitiesandacrossIrishsociety.

Sports Campus: We will continue to invest in theNationalSportsCampuswithaviewtoincreasingtheuseofthefacilitiesbythegeneralpublic,andprovideworld-class support to high-performance athletes.In a second term of government, we will open theNational Indoor Arena and the National VelodromeandBadmintonCentre.

Concussion in Sport: Fine Gael is committed tokeeping people healthy through sport and safein sport. We will work with sporting bodies andmedicalprofessionalstodeveloprobustconcussion-managementpoliciesforeverysportandtoconsiderappropriatemeasurestoensurecompliance.


supportanincreaseinthemandatoryschoolingageto 17.Wewill alsobuildon thesuccessfulBallymunYouthGuaranteepilotschemeandrolloutaguaranteescheme for all 18 and 19 year olds, where a good-qualityofferofemployment,continuededucation,anapprenticeshiporatraineeshipwillbemadeavailablewithinaperiodof4monthsofbecomingunemployedorleavingformaleducation.

SchoolsExcellenceFund:Wewillestablishanew€50mSchoolsExcellenceFund,whichrewardscollaborativeapproaches driven by schools and by parentsthemselves, aimed at improving school outcomesthrough the teaching of subjects such as maths,science and technology, key life skills programmes,andpupilretentioninitiatives.Applicationsthatseektotackleeducationaldisadvantagewillbeprioritised.Outsidebodies,suchasbusinessandhighereducationinstitutions,maycollaboratewithsecondlevelschoolsaspartofthisinitiative.

ENSuRING OuR yOuNG pEOpLE’S WELL-bEINGFreeGPCareforunder18s:FineGaelhasintroducedfreeGPcareforunder6sandBudget2016providedfor the introduction of free GP care for under 12s.SubjecttonegotiationswithGPs,thenextphaseofourPlanistoprovidefreeGPcareto12-17yearolds.

FineGael’sLongTermEconomicPlanensuresthatnoonewillbeleftbehindineconomicrecovery,andthatourfocusisthateveryyoungpersoncanreachtheirfullpotential.For thosewhodoneedsupport fromstateagencies,theirrolemustbetoguidepeopleoutofdifficultyandintostabilityandsafety.

ENSuRING OuR yOuNG pEOpLE MEET ThEIR FuLL pOTENTIALNationalyouthStrategy:Inconsultationwith4,000young people, Fine Gael published the first everNational Youth Strategy, which sets out 50 priorityaction points to be delivered for young people,includingtheYouthEmployabilityInitiative.€600,000hasbeenprovided for this scheme inBudget2016,whichwillprovidegrantstovoluntaryyouthservicesthattargetdisadvantagedyoungpeopleandimprovetheiremployability.Wewillcontinuetoimplementthisstrategy.

youth Services: Fine Gael recognises the value ofyouthcafésandyouthcentres in communitieswithgrowing teenage populations. We will continue tosupporttheworkthattheyouthsectordoesforyoungpeople.Budget2016providedanadditional€1.1mincurrentfundingand€2.25mincapitalfunding.

Tackling youth unemployment: Tackling youthunemploymentisapriorityforFineGael.Wetherefore

Despite the economic crisis we inherited from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael prioritised our children’s welfare, by creating the first dedicated Cabinet Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, establishing a new Child and Family Agency, introducing strong child protection legislation, and holding a children’s referendum.

29.youth Affairs

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Wellness and Healthy Eating Programmes: FineGael recognises the growing problem of childhoodobesityandsupportsall schoolsandpre-schools indevelopingan integratedwellnesspolicy,whichwillincludehealthyeatingandcardiovascularfitness.


Physical Education: Fine Gael supports theintroduction of more PE in primary schools and itsintroductionasaLeavingCertsubject.Wewilllookatvariouswaysinwhichorganisationswithexperienceinchildren’ssportsandfitnessmightprovideschoolswithsupport.

ChILD pROTECTION AND CAREChildandFamilyAgency:FineGaelestablishedTusla,Ireland’sfirstdedicatedchildandfamilyagency,whichhaschangedthewaywedeliverchildprotectionandwelfare services. Funding for 200 additional socialworkers was provided for in Budget 2016. We willcontinuetodevelopTuslaasitcementsitsprogressandmoves forward fromcrisis intervention toearlyintervention and by end 2020 we will fund 500additional social workers. We will extend its remitto incorporate new services and build improvedinteragency working arrangements with otherservices.Forexample,childdetentionschoolswillbetransferredtoTuslaasweestablishasinglenationaldirectorate to respond to thechallengesandneedsofourmosttroubledandtroublesometeens,bringingtogether child detention, youth justice, special careandtargetedtherapeuticandsupportservices.

Ensuring Mandatory Reporting of Child ProtectionConcerns: We introduced legislation on childprotectionandensuredthatthevoiceofthechildis

heard.AllrelevantgroupswillberequiredtodevelopChild Safeguarding Statements so that parents canexaminethesestatementsandsatisfythemselvesthattheirchildissafeandprotectedfromharm.

Gardavetting:FineGaelwillcontinuetoensurethatthe highest of standards of vetting procedures aremetforallpositionswherethereissubstantialaccesstochildrenandvulnerableadults.

Guardian Ad Litem (GAL): We will review theoperation of the GAL mechanism representing achild’sview incourtproceedingstoensurethat theperspective of the child is always taken fully intoaccount.Thiswillincludeclearlysettingouttheroleand functionsofGALs, aswell as thequalificationsand experience required to act as a GAL. This willensureabetterservice,andamoreeffectiveuseofresourcestoprotectchildren.

Child Care Law Reporting Project: Fine Gael willrespond, with an implementation plan, to theindependentChildCareLawReportingProjectreportand recommendations within 6 months of enteringgovernment.

yOuTh JuSTICEEarlyInterventioninAdolescence:Wewillcontinuetoextendyouthjusticeanddiversionprogrammestoseektopreventandtackleyouthoffendingatanearlystage.

Targeting young Repeat Offenders: Fine Gael iscommitted to supporting young offenders withalternativelifechoices,sothattheydonotprogressto career criminality. We will introduce targetedinitiatives,involvingGardaí,Tuslaandotheragencies,to more effectively deal with those prolific youthoffendersresponsibleforalargeproportionofyouthcrimeandforwhomtraditionalYouthDiversionhasnot worked. This will include, where appropriate,theuseofextendeddetentionwitheducationalandtherapeuticsupports.

FINE GAELGeneral Election Manifesto 2016 133

Intensive Bail Supervision: Fine Gael will pilot ascheme of intensive bail supervision to supportvulnerableyouths. Suchaschemewill improvethechanceofyouthsobservingtheirbailconditionsandengaging in therapeutic services. It will also reducethenumberofhigh-costremandplaces.

youthDetention:ThenewOberstowndevelopmentproject is nearing completion, which will allow St.Patrick’sInstitutiontoclosethisyear.Newtherapeuticintervention services have also been introduced forchildren in detention, which provide psychology,speechandlanguagetherapyandreferraltoaddictionservicestochildrenwiththemostchallengingneeds.FineGaeliscommittedtodrivingthesenewinitiativesfurther.

Drugs Awareness: Fine Gael will ensure fullimplementation of the National Drugs StrategyandcontinuetoresourcethenewGardaDrugsandOrganised Crime Bureau and local drugs units totackle changing trends in drugs supply. We willcontinuetosupportLocalDrugTaskforceprojectsforyoungpeopleincludingtargeteddrugpreventionandawarenessprogrammes.

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FiscalCommitmentsunderLongTermEconomicPlan(€m) Total2017-21

Step1-MoreandBetterJobs(FiscalSpaceUsedUpby€4bnJobsFund) 1,000

Step2-MakingWorkPay(FiscalSpaceUsedbyUSCAbolitionandOtherTaxChanges) 2,458Step3-InvestinginPublicServices(FiscalSpaceUsedbyExtraCurrentSpending) 4,182

ContingencyandStabilityReserve 2,495

30.Appendices

Step 1 - More and better Jobs (€m) 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

ExistingCapitalExpenditureasper“BuildingonRecovery” 4,225 4,515 5,075 5,410 5,810

4-YearRollingAverage 4,064 4,270 4,505 4,806 5,203

New“FutureJobsInvestmentFund” 500 1,000 1,250 1,250

RevisedTotal 4,225 5,015 6,075 6,660 7,060

New4-YearRollingAverage 4,064 4,395 4,880 5,494 6,203RevisedFiscalSpaceUsed 244 331 485 614 709

Extra€1,000mFiscalSpaceusedBy“FutureJobsFund” 0 125 250 313 313

Step2-MakingWorkPay TotalCost(€m)

USCAbolition 3,700

Carry-OverofBudget2021USC/TaxPackageinto2022 -246

5%LevyonIncomes>€100k -347

BaseBroadeningforHighEarners(RemovalofPAYE/EarnedIncomeTaxCredits) -260

PRSIBroadening -14

EarnedIncomeTaxCreditfortheSelfEmployed(from€550in2016toto€1,650by2018) 107

IncreasingHomecarers’Creditfrom€1,000to€1,650(andincomethresholdto€10,500) 46

TotalIncomeTaxChanges 2,986

EmployerPRSICutforPart-TimeandLowPaidWorkerstoOffsetMinimumWageIncreases 103

10%RateofCapitalGainsTaxonNewStart-Upsfrom2017(Heldfor5YearsSubjectto€10mCaponGains) 15

TaxonSugarSweetenedDrinks -122

ExciseDutiesonCigarettes(45cperyear) -349

ImproveTaxComplianceby0.1%ofTaxesCollected -250

RaiseBandACapitalAcquisitionsTaxThresholdsto€500,000from€280,000 75

TotalTaxPackage 2,458

FINE GAELGeneral Election Manifesto 2016 135

Step3-InvestinginPublicServices TotalCost(€m)

Welfare Reform to Make Work Pay and Provide Opportunities for Our Young People

“WorkingFamilyPayment”(incl.ContinuationofFISPaymentstoThoseBetterOffonFIS) 60

RaiseJobSeekers’Benefitto€215pwand€200pwforfirst3/6months 30

RestorationofDentalTreatmentBenefitScheme 52

Extra4,000“JobsPlus”Places(WithHigherSubsidiesforLongTermUnemployed) 20

“4-MonthYouthGuarantee”for8,000Unemployed18and19YearOlds 22

Doubleto31,000theNumberofApprenticeships 40

Expansion of Primary Care and Community Health

IncreaseIntakeofNewGPTraineesto259perYear(from167in2016) 39

ExtensionofFreeGPCareinTwoPhases:(1)6-11byend2016;(2)12-17byend2018 69

ExpandingGPServices(ChronicDiseaseManagement;minorsurgery;firstlineinvestigationsetc.) 35

ExtendingMedicalCardtoAllChildrenontheDomiciliaryCareAllowance 15

DrugPaymentsScheme(CutMax.AnnualCostto€950perYearoverThreePhases) 87

ReductioninthePrescriptionChargefrom€25to€17.50 25

DentalCarePackageforMedicalCardHolders 10

PreventativeDentalPackageforChildren 8

IncreasedFundingforMentalHealth 175

CongregatedSettings 30

OtherPrimaryandCommunityCareMeasures 90

Hospitals and Health Reform

WaitingListInitiative 50

PerformanceManagementFund 10

HospitalTrustsand“ActivityBasedFunding”Initative 25

NationalMaternityStrategy 46

Extra137HospitalConsultantsandOtherDoctors(OnTopof463DemographicIncreases) 22

Extra993Nurses(ontopof1,807DemographicIncreases) 56

Extra284OtherHSEMedicalProfessionals(ontopof716DemographicIncreases) 14

OtherHospitalandHealthServiceDevelopments 789

Other Measure to Support Children and Working Families

IncreasePaidParentalLeavebyanAdditionalEightWeeksperYear(ontopof2weeksPaternityLeave) 84

€2,000ChildareSubvention 60

Extra217HSESpeechandLanguageTherapiststoBringTotalto1,102(25%Increase) 10

Extra42AdditionalEducationalPsychologists(NEPS)toBringTotalto238(25%increase) 3

Extra832Teachers(ontopof2,247tomeetdemographicpressures) 38

Extra145TeacherstoFreeupTeachingPrincipalsforManagementResponsibilities 9

2%AnnualIncreaseinPer-Student(PrimaryandSecondary)CapitationRates(ontopof€13mfordemographics) 38


GENERAL ELECTION MANIFESTOGENERAL ELECTION MANIFESTO

Extra20,000HoursforContinuingProfessionalDevelopment(CPD) 10

New“SchoolExcellenceFund” 50

Extra500SocialWorkersforTusla(100PerYear) 25

Elderly and Vulnerable

€5PerWeekIncreaseinLivingAloneAllowanceforOver65s(€1perweekincreaseeachyearfrom€9to€14) 40

€5WeeklyIncreaseinStatePension(andrelatedpayments)EveryYearin2017-21 791

€4WeeklyIncreaseinIllness,Invalidity,Disability,CarersPayments,BlindPerson’sPensionEveryYearin2017-21 284

DoubleFundingforMonitoredAlarmsfortheOver80s 4

New€5mActiveRetirementFundtobeAdministedbyPobal 5

20%IncreaseinHomeAdaptationGrants 11

Safer Communities and Policing Reform

Extra600GardaiTraineesPerAnnum(Netof300Retirements-Extra1,500inTotal) 74

300civilians(200COs,100Analysts)toFreeUpSwornOfficersforFront-LinePolicing 11

DoubleGardaReserve 1

Savings

ProcurementSavingsasperGovernmentProcurementStrategy -200

AdditionalDividendsfromCommercialSemi-States(NewERA) -100

Other (including Pay and Pensions post Lansdowne Road Agreement) 1,115

Total 4,182

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Documents

FINE GAEL GENERAL ELECTION MANIFESTO 2016michaelpidgeon.com/manifestos/docs/fg/Fine Gael GE 2016.pdf · Consumer Rights 82 18 JuSTICE, CRIME AND LAW REFORM 83 An Garda Síochána