Main message to voters:
Article 48 was removed from the Irish Constitution in 1937 to remove the Peoples power to call referendums and to ensure unaccountability of elected officials. We'll use the One Year Initiative to return this power to the People, where it rightly belongs. It's time to put a new system in place.
Election history:
In 2015 I was campaign manager for one of our colleagues running in the local elections. I have never had the opportunity of running myself but, look forward to this campaign because we need people of integrity to represent us and halt the bad decision making which is decimating our country
Priorities:
- Other To transfer the reins of power from government to the People, by returning Article 48 (Direct Democracy) to the Irish Constitution.
- Other To stop political policing by establishing an independent public body to oversee and decide the appointment of all senior Garda positions.
- Other To stop repossessions and evictions by placing an immediate moratorium on all cases brought by Mortgagors in respect of the family home.
Candidate positions on the election issues:
Budget and taxes
What should the priority be in the next budget?
With a growing economy, government revenue is increasing. This can be put back into the economy in the form of tax cuts or increased spending on public services, or it can be used to reduce the national debt.
Prioritise increased spending on public services
Prioritise tax cuts
Prioritise reducing the national debt
None of the above
Comment:
"The deliberate defunding of our health service must be reversed. "That's the standard technique of privatization: defund, make sure things don't work, people get angry, you hand it over to private capital." Noam Chomsky. Direct Democracy Ireland will propose the implementation of a Bill of Rights.
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1 of 22 questions
Should high earners pay more tax than they currently do?
There are two income tax rates: the standard rate of 20% applies to all income up to a certain amount (€33,800 for a single person); and the higher rate of 40%, applies to all income earned over that amount. The Universal Social Charge is also payable at different rates depending on income.
Yes, to reduce economic inequality high earners should pay more tax
No, high earners pay enough at present
No, to reward work high earners should pay less tax than they do now
None of the above
2 of 22 questions
Water
How should water be funded?
Currently, water charges are capped at €160 per year for households with one adult and €260 for households with more than one adult. Households with low water usage may get a rebate.
Water should be free at the point of use and funded through general taxation
The current policy (with capped charges per household) should be maintained
Households that use more water (above a set allowance) should pay more
None of the above
Comment:
"Our water infrastructure has been paid for by the taxpayer already and maintenance and supply is funded through general taxation. The funds collected must be used for the upkeep of this vital service, not diverted to the government quango Irish Water or used to pay the gambling debts of bondholders."
3 of 22 questions
Should water charges be boycotted?
Some political parties and groups have advocated a boycott of the water charges
Yes, water charges are wrong and should be boycotted
No, water charges are wrong, but we should obey the law and pay
No, water charges are necessary
None of the above
4 of 22 questions
Abortion
When should abortion be permitted?
Abortion is currently only permitted when the life of the mother is at risk (including risk of suicide). Legal abortions are rare; for example, there were 26 cases during 2014.
Only when the mother’s life is at risk from illness
Only when the mother’s life is at risk from illness or suicide (the current position)
When the mother’s life is at risk and in certain other cases such as rape and fatal foetal abnormality
Abortion should be freely available up to a certain number of weeks in a pregnancy
None of the above
Comment:
"The current system is not specific enough and imposes "blanket morality", with no regard for circumstance."
5 of 22 questions
Should there be a referendum on the 8th Amendment of the Constitution?
The 8th Amendment introduced a constitutional ban on abortion by acknowledging the right to life of the unborn (with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother).
Yes, the 8th Amendment should be repealed
There should be a referendum, but I would vote to defend the 8th Amendment
No, there should not be a referendum on the 8th Amendment
None of the above
Comment:
"Article 8 of the Constitution should be repealed and a new article written which gives women a fundamental right to choice. The current article is discriminatory and draconian. The issue should be put to the People to decide."
6 of 22 questions
Wages and employment
Should the minimum wage be increased?
The minimum wage has recently been raised to €9.15 per hour.
Yes, the minimum wage should be increased further
No, it is high enough; further increases could mean fewer jobs
No, the minimum wage is too high and should be decreased
None of the above
Comment:
"The working poor have been ignored for far too long, and according to top economists raising the minimum wage will stimulate our domestic economy and reverse the decline in our small and medium business enterprises."
7 of 22 questions
Should all employees be guaranteed a certain number of hours work per week?
In some sectors, such as retail, the number of hours work offered to employees varies greatly from week to week.
Yes, employees who want it should be given a guaranteed number of hours
Employers should try to provide guaranteed hours to staff, but the state should not intervene
No, employers sometimes need flexibility in order to stay in business
None of the above
Comment:
"Without guaranteed working hours many people are left in a situation where they have no access to loans from financial institutions (Banks). These working people can't budget effectively (long term) and therefore necessity leads to inevitable debt by borrowing from high interest loan companies. "
8 of 22 questions
Housing
Should there be tighter controls on rent?
Currently, landlords can only increase rent every two years, and rent increases must be justifiable in terms of the market rate.
Yes, to improve rent certainty increases should be capped in line with inflation
No, current controls on rent are adequate
No, rent controls are to be opposed as they reduce the supply of housing
None of the above
Comment:
"The current government has many landlord TD's, who "God forbid" would make less profit with capped rents. Many people can't afford to rent in the private sector. Rent allowance can't keep up with high rents, leading to an epidemic of homelessness and government funding of temporary accommodation."
9 of 22 questions
What is your view on the Local Property Tax?
The Local Property Tax is charged on all residential properties. The revenue raised is used to fund services by local authorities.
The Local Property Tax is fair and provides much needed revenue for local authorities
Property taxes are a good idea, but the current system needs to be reformed
Property taxes are unfair and should be abolished
None of the above
Comment:
"The Household charge which became the Local Property Tax, is un-constitutional. Mayo Co. Council abandoned a recent court case, just to stop a legal precedent being made as to the tax's constitutional illegality. "It is morally wrong, unjust and unfair to tax a persons home" - Enda Kenny, 1994.
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10 of 22 questions
What is your view on Traveller accommodation?
The Department of the Environment provides funding to local authorities for Traveller accommodation (e.g. halting sites and group housing schemes), but many local authorities have been reluctant to build these sites due to local opposition.
More should be done to provide accommodation for Travellers, even if there is local opposition
More Traveller accommodation is needed, but it should not be built against the wishes of the local community
The state should not build accommodation specifically for Travellers
None of the above
Comment:
"The imposition of traveller accommodation on unwilling communities leads to conflict. To avoid this, accommodation should be provided based on the findings of a highly specific, structured and researched plan, which addresses the concerns and needs of both traveller and settled communities.
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11 of 22 questions
Health and childcare
Should there be free health care for all, paid for through higher taxes?
Currently, only some people are entitled to free health care or free GP care. Many people who can afford it choose to take out private health insurance.
Yes, health care should be free for all, even if it means higher taxes
GP care should be free, but universal health care would cost too much
No, those who can afford to pay should not have free health care
None of the above
Comment:
"Those who can afford to pay will have access to medical insurance plans and cover. Those who can't afford this type of cover should have access to state funded health care, including free hospital care, GP visits, dental care etc.
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12 of 22 questions
Should the state do more to cover the cost of childcare?
The cost of childcare in Ireland is high by international standards. From September 2016, children over the age of three will be entitled to free pre-school for three hours a day. Beyond that it is up to parents to pay.
Yes, even if it means less resources available for other measures
No, current subsidies for childcare are adequate
No, the cost of childcare should be borne by parents
None of the above
Comment:
"Subsidised childcare inevitably leads to a more productivity, this in itself will allow for a higher tax intake, which can go toward covering the cost of the childcare scheme. It will remove social constraints deliberately imposed by government, designed to keep the working poor subservient."
13 of 22 questions
Religion in schools
Should religion be taught in state-funded primary schools?
Typically, primary schools spend 30 minutes a day on religious education, which in most cases involves instruction in a particular faith.
Yes, schools should instruct pupils in line with their religions ethos
Pupils should learn about various religions, not one particular faith
No, religion should only be taught outside of school
None of the above
Comment:
"There should be a distinct separation between religion and state education. Religious education is a parental choice and parents should not rely on the state to provide this education for their children. There should be no state funding for religious schools. "
14 of 22 questions
Should schools be allowed to give preference to children based on religion?
Approximately 96% of primary schools in Ireland are under religious patronage. In areas where schools are oversubscribed, some schools give preference to children based on their religion.
Yes, schools should be able to serve their own religious community first
Yes, but only if there are suitable alternatives (e.g. non-denominational schools) in the area
No, religion should have no place in school admissions policies for state-funded schools
None of the above
Comment:
"The state cannot be expected to advocate or fund any particular religious education, stance or viewpoint. Absolute separation of church and state must be paramount. This will eliminate bias toward any religious group and lead to a more equal and inclusive society."
15 of 22 questions
Immigration, the EU
Should we accept more refugees in Ireland than we currently do?
In response to the migrant crisis, the current government has agreed to accept more refugees. However, Ireland still takes a relatively small number of refugees compared to some EU countries (such as Germany and Sweden).
Yes, we should accept a greater number of refugees
No, we accept enough already
No, we should accept fewer refugees than we currently do
None of the above
Comment:
"The authorities in Europe have already determined that Irelands economy is so fragile and tenuous that we can't actually afford to finance more refugee immigration. We are therefore one of the few countries who have been given an exemption by the EU from accepting further refugees. "
16 of 22 questions
Has European integration gone too far?
Some argue that greater integration is necessary to tackle EU-wide issues such as the financial crisis and the migrant crisis, while others believe that the EU interferes too much in the affairs of member states.
Yes, more power should be returned to member states
The current level of integration is acceptable
No, European integration should be pushed further
None of the above
Comment:
"We joined the European project as a trade partnership. There was no mention of the long-term plan of political and economic integration. Subsequent treaties have had but one goal, the creation of an un-democratic superstate run by Germany, which feeds off and dominates the peripheral member states"
17 of 22 questions
Environment
Should more wind farms be built in Ireland?
Currently, Ireland has 199 wind farms, which produce around 18% of the country’s electricity. Ireland has signed up to a target of generating 40% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
Yes, we need more wind farms
No, there are enough wind farms already
No, there are too many wind farms
None of the above
Comment:
"Wind farms are a blight on rural Ireland and we do not benefit from them at all. The power generated is exported and our domestic tariffs are in no way reduced. Other energy devices are available which can match the wind farms output, with much less environmental impact. "
18 of 22 questions
Should we sign up to the EU’s targets on reducing emissions?
The European Commission wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030. Some groups are opposed to this because they believe it would have a negative impact on certain sectors, such as agriculture.
Yes, we should do what it takes to reduce our emissions in line with EU targets
We should seek to reduce emissions, but these targets are too ambitious for Ireland
No, we do not need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
None of the above
Comment:
"We should also seek to determine the veracity of "man-made" climate change claims. There is much speculation that our planets climate change is cyclical and that other agendas are being met by pushing a fallacious belief in the human impact on climate. In-depth unbiased research must be undertaken."
19 of 22 questions
Political reform
Is the party whip system too rigid?
Political parties nominate someone as the ‘party whip’ whose job it is to ensure that TDs vote according to the party line, or else face the prospect of being removed from the party.
Yes, TDs should take instruction from their constituents or follow their conscience on all matters
TDs should be given a free vote on ethical issues, but on other matters the whip is needed
No, government parties need to be united in order to implement their policies
None of the above
Comment:
"The whip system eliminates conscience from decision making. No TD can fully represent their constituents while having to submit to the dictats of their party leaders (whose agenda can be completely at odds with constituents wishes or best interest). Direct Democracy Ireland has no whip system."
20 of 22 questions
Should citizens be able to initiate referendums?
Currently only the government can call a referendum. In some countries, citizens can initiate a referendum to introduce or overturn legislation or amend the constitution, once a certain number of signatures are collected.
Yes, allowing citizens to initiate referendums would empower the people
Yes, but only for referendums to overturn legislation (not to amend the constitution or introduce new legislation)
No, citizen-initiated referendums would be costly and potentially chaotic
None of the above
Comment:
"Our right to initiate referendums was removed from the constitution in 1937 to specifically remove accountability of government and to allow the imposition of tyranny. Our sovereign right of self-determination has been undermined and our ability to halt decisions by government no longer exists. "
21 of 22 questions
Crime
Are criminal sentences too lenient in Ireland?
There are currently around 3,700 people in prison in Ireland. The number of prisoners has increased in recent years, but the rate of incarceration remains relatively low by international standards.
Yes, criminals should be more severely punished
No, the current sentencing regime is about right
No, there should be a greater focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment
None of the above
Comment:
"The current sentencing regime does not act as an effective deterrent for criminality. I believe that sentences should be longer, with tougher bail laws, and that a similar system to the U.S. (three strikes) should be put in place. Most crime is committed by repeat offenders."
22 of 22 questions