Fine Gael’s alternative ideas

As opinion polls and electoral results tip Fine Gael to lead the next Government, eolas reviews the party’s key policies.

Health

The party is highly critical of the current Government’s approach to health and proposes its own reforms in the ‘FairCare’ policy document.

Using the Dutch health system as a model, Fine Gael wants to move towards the whole population having mandatory health insurance, either subsidised or fully financed by the state.

A money-follows-the-patient system will pay hospitals for how many patients they treat so that patients are seen as sources of income rather than costs.

Priority will be given to primary care. Free GP-led care will be provided through a network of purpose-built primary care centres. Most capital costs for primary care would be borne by the private sector through long-term contracts.

The Health Minister will be directly responsible for hitting hospital targets e.g. on waiting lists, and will be assisted by a special delivery unit – a similar unit was successful in Northern Ireland.

Universal health insurance would be introduced after five years, provided that waiting lists are significantly reduced and insurance companies are capable of an expanded role. Strong regulation is emphasised with discrimination on age, sex or medical history prohibited. The current public and private health systems will in time merge into one system, run by the insurance companies.

Economy

‘Rebuilding Ireland: A “NewERA” for the Irish Economy’ contains its main recovery proposals.

Investment totalling €11 billion would be focused on key technologies and network infrastructures with the aim of creating 100,000 jobs.

The phrase ‘NewERA’ refers to the proposed New Economy and Recovery Authority, a state industrial holding company to supervise this programme. Investments will seek a commercial rate of return, and be repaid through charges on consumers and businesses.

Three additional companies would be established by the state to drive forward specific economic sectors:

• Broadband 21, to build the required high-speed fibre cable infrastructure with a focus in highly populated areas;

• BioEnergy Ireland, an amalgamation of the peat company Bord na Móna and two forestry agencies, to commercialise bio-energy;

• Renewable Energy Ireland, to invest in early stage green energy companies and applied renewable energy research.

The party claims that its 18-point SME rescue plan, published in May 2009, could save an average small business around €50,000 a year. Proposals include offering employers a two- year exemption from paying PRSI if they recruit new staff or an alternative of a €6,000 wage subsidy per employee over the same period.

Education

In March the party ruled out the re-introduction of university and college fees. It claims that a new graduate pay-related social insurance (PRSI) contribution scheme would raise around €500 million each year for third level institutions. The scheme would see new college or university entrants, after they have graduated, make a PRSI contribution to the value of 30 per cent of the cost of their further or higher education; these funds would be ring-fenced for the sector.

A five-point plan to attract international students to Ireland includes lifting the freeze on third level recruitment. Fine Gael also proposed expanding the Work Placement Programme to include 2,000 teaching graduate placements in primary and secondary schools from this September. It also proposes a National Forum on Education to review school governance.

Finance

Before the Budget in April, Fine Gael proposed €340 million in ‘job protecting’ tax cuts. It says that a suspension of the national pay agreement would save the Government €1,200 million by 2012. That, coupled with a pay cut for public servants earning over €100,000 and a 15,000-strong voluntary redundancy scheme (already introduced), it is claimed, would save €3,750 million.

The proposal also advocates the emergency suspension of uncommitted non-priority capital projects in 2009.

Contrary to government policy, Fine Gael would also raise petrol duty by 10 cent, in spite of the increasing number of people buying in the North, and re-instate the standard 21 per cent VAT rate.

Looking at the unemployment rate, Fine Gael has questioned the Government’s reasoning for going against the “rest of the world” by using tax increases and spending cuts at the “worst possible time”, with the average worker earning over €1,000 less.

The ‘Streamlining Government’ document, published in March 2008, puts forward proposals to cut back on the number of state agencies as “many do the same jobs” and save €200 million over four years. Fine Gael does not support the National Asset Management Agency or bank nationalisation. It instead proposes a new wholesale investment bank – the National Recovery Bank – established using government capital and funded by the European Central Bank. This bank will buy good debt from the guaranteed banks to provide them with the necessary capital to cover losses from bad loans and help them resume lending.

Governance

To streamline government, the number of junior Ministers would be reduced to 12 from the current 15. Recruiting private sector managers into the Civil Service would be encouraged and performance-related practices implemented.

Oireachtas committees’ powers would be increased with ‘parliamentary inspectors’ assisting TDs with investigations.

In the Seanad, 20 Senators will be directly elected. The current university seats would be abolished and replaced by six seats elected by all graduates.

An electoral commission would conduct polls, register voters and political parties, and determine constituencies.

The May 2009 ‘Power to the People’ document proposes merging 53 public bodies into local government – giving it a greater role in planning transport, housing and education – and abolishing another 42. A directly-elected Dublin Mayor is supported in principle but the eight regional authorities would be abolished.

Justice

In 2007 the party advocated 2,000 extra gardaí on the ground to help deal with the “crime epidemic sweeping Ireland”.

There would also be an independent Garda authority, along the same lines as the Northern Ireland Policing Board, which would act as a conduit between society, the Garda Commissioner and the justice department.

Fine Gael’s 2007 manifesto pledged a dedicated Minister of State with the sole responsibility for tackling anti-social behavior.

In turn a fund would be set up for local initiatives tackling the behaviour, aimed at practical solutions, such as improved lighting in problem areas.

Calls have also been made to speed up legislation to allow covert surveillance on gangs to be used in criminal trials.

The party plans to require judges to undergo a level of training as a condition of appointment. In November 2008, it also pledged to impose 25-year minimum murder sentences, 10-year sentences for knife and firearm possession, and electronic tagging for criminal gang members.