FINE GAEL GENERAL ELECTION MANIFESTO 2016 LET’S KEEP THE RECOVERY GOING Contents FOREWARD FROM AN TAOISEACH 6 THE LONG TERM ECONOMIC PLAN- Three steps to keep the recovERy GOING 9 AGRICultuRE AND FOOD 13 1 Generational Change – Farm Families 14 Supporting All Sectors 14 Realising our Ambition 16 Robust Systems and Welfare 17 Arts, CultuRE AND Heritage 19 2 Arts and Culture 19 Heritage 21 BANkING 20 3 Choice 20 Credit 21 Confidence 23 BRINGING OuR Friends and FAMILy HOME 25 4 Bringing our Friends and Family Home 25 The Irish Diaspora 26 Climate CHANGE, ENERGy AND THE ENvIRONMENT 27 5 Climate Change Policy 27 Renewable Energy 28 Price Competitiveness 30 Environment 31 Flooding 31 Natural Resources 32 A CONNECTED IRELAND 33 6 Communication Networks 33 Bringing Ireland Up to Speed 34 Broadcasting 35 DEFENCE 37 7 Delivering on New Thinking 37 Disability 39 8 Making Work Pay 39 Tailoring Services to Individual Needs 39 Independence and Income Support 40 DRuGS AND Alcohol 41 9 Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 41 Economy, PuBLIC FINANCES AND TAxation 43 10 More and Better Jobs through Effective Tax Policy 43 Making Work Pay through Tax Reform 44 Sound Public Finances and Sensible Investments in Public Services and Infrastructure 45 FINE GAEL General Election Manifesto 2016 01 GENERAL ELECTION MANIFESTO EDucation and SkILLS 47 11 1. We Will Invest in Schools, Education and Teachers. 47 2. We Will Strengthen Local Decision Making, Leadership, Innovation and Accountability. 49 3. We Will Improve Parental Choice and School Diversity. 50 4. We Will Expand the Range, Affordability and Quality of Higher Education Options. 51 AN EquAL, FAIR AND INCLuSIvE SOCIETy 53 12 More and Better Jobs 53 Long-Term Thinking for Better Services 54 Equality of Opportunity 55 FAMILIES AND CHILDCARE 56 13 Making Work Pay for Families 56 Family-Friendly Childcare 56 Healthcare (see Health chapter for further detail) 58 Education (see Education chapter for further detail) 59 The Family Home 60 14 AN Ghaeilge 61 Health 65 15 1. More Resources and Staff and Better Infrastructure for Health Services 65 2. Health Reform Programme 67 3. A Decisive Shift Towards Primary and Community Care 69 4. Improving the Health and Well-being of the Nation 71 HOuSING 73 16 Home Ownership 73 Sustainable Construction 73 Social and Affordable Housing 74 Protecting Renters 74 Supporting High-Quality and Appropriate Housing 75 Homelessness 75 JOBS, ENTERPRISE AND REGIONAL Growth 76 17 A Leap Forward for Enterprise 76 Building a Competitive Edge 78 Revitalising the Main Street 80 Promoting Entrepreneurship 81 Workplace Relations 82 Consumer Rights 82 Justice, CRIME AND Law REFORM 83 18 An Garda Síochána 83 Tackling Rural Crime 85 Securing the State 85 An Accessible and Efficient Legal System 86 Sentencing and Repeat Offending 87 Legislative Reform 87 A Balanced Migration Policy 88 19 LOCAL GOvERNMENT AND COMMuNITIES 89 NORTHERN IRELAND, EuROPEAN AND FOREIGN Affairs 92 20 The Peace Process 92 North South Cooperation 92 Security and Crime Prevention 93 Ireland in Europe 93 FINE GAEL 2 General Election Manifesto 2016 Conflict Resolution and Multilateral Engagement 94 Trade 94 Official Development Assistance (ODA) and Humanitarian Aid 95 Passport Security 95 POLITICAL REFORM 96 21 A More Effective Oireachtas 96 More Inclusive Politics 98 Fiscal Responsibility and National Competitiveness 98 Empowering Citizens and Driving Policy 99 OLDER PEOPLE 100 22 Older Years, Better Years 100 Enhanced Primary Care 100 Promoting Independent and Active Living 102 Carers 103 Stronger Voice for Older People 103 PuBLIC Sector REFORM AND PuBLIC PROCuREMENT 104 23 A Strong, Strategic Centre of Government that Drives New Ideas and Innovation 104 Public Service Numbers, Pay and Pensions 106 Devolving Power to Frontline Decision Makers 107 Civil and Public Service Reform and Accountability 108 More Diversity of Public Service Provision and More “Choice and Voice” for Service Users 108 More Focus on Prevention and Early Intervention 109 Public Procurement 109 24 RuRAL IRELAND 111 SEAFOOD AND THE MARINE 115 25 Food Wise 2025 – Seafood 115 Investment and Leadership 115 The New Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) 116 Quotas – A National Asset 116 Supporting Growth in the Seafood Sector 116 SOCIAL Welfare, MAkING WORk PAy AND PENSIONS 119 26 Making Work Pay 119 Activation 121 Welfare Reform 122 Pensions Reform 122 TRANSPORT 125 27 Public Transport 125 Green Transport 126 Roads 126 Air and Sea Transport 127 TOuRISM AND SPORT 128 28 Tourism 128 Sport 129 YouTH Affairs 131 29 Ensuring our Young People Meet their Full Potential 131 Ensuring our Young People’s Well-being 131 Child Protection and Care 132 Youth Justice 132 APPENDICES 134 FINE GAEL General Election Manifesto 2016 3 GENERAL ELECTION MANIFESTO FINE GAEL 4 General Election Manifesto 2016 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 FINE GAEL General Election Manifesto 2016 5 FOREWARD Foreword from AN Taoiseach hanks to the hard work and resilience of the Irish people, our economy is now recovering. While the economic recovery remains fragile and cannot be taken for granted, we now Thave it in our grasp to make Ireland a country where our people can once again prosper, work, start a business, raise a family and grow old with dignity. Fine Gael’s promise is to give our people the solid foundation on which they can build their lives – no more boom and bust, no more reckless waste of taxpayers’ money, no more sense of a crisis. Our Long Term Economic Plan offers our people the stability and certainty needed to keep the recovery going. It has three steps: 1. More and Better Jobs 2. Making Work Pay 3. Investing in Better Services By keeping the recovery going, the aim of our Plan is that by 2022 – the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the State – Ireland will be a country which: • Makes a job available to everyone who wants one • Gives every family the supports needed to escape from poverty • Has brought home at least 70,000 of our friends and family forced to leave because of the crisis • Gives every child an equal opportunity in life by providing the health, education and family services they need Fine Gael has learnt from the mistakes made by previous governments – we know that only a strong economy that supports people at work can pay for the services needed for a just society. We are determined not to let Ireland go back – not to those who wrecked our economy in the first place, and not to those who would kill jobs with new taxes on work. 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. My commitment to you is to keep it that way. Together with the Irish people, Fine Gael will keep the recovery going. Enda Kenny TD Leader Fine Gael FINE GAEL 6 General Election Manifesto 2016 RéAMHRá óN Taoiseach á an geilleagar ag téarnamh a bhuíochas d’obair chrua agus d’athléimneacht mhuintir na héireann. Cé go bhfuil an téarnamh geilleagrach leochaileach i gcónaí agus cé nach féidir neamhshuim a Tdhéanamh de, tá deis anois ag muintir na héireann déanamh go maith, a bheith ag obair, gnó a thosú, clann a thógáil agus dul in aois le dínit. Geallann Fine Gael go gcuirfimid bunchloch láidir ar fáil do mhuintir na tíre seo - ní bheidh aon chaint ar bhorradh agus cliseadh, ní chuirfear airgead na gcáiníocóirí amú, ní bheidh géarchéim le brath níos mó. Cuireann ár bPlean Eacnamaíochta Fadtéarmach an chobhsaíocht agus an chinnteacht a bhfuil gá leo chun an téarnamh a choinneáil ag imeacht ar fáil. Tá trí chéim i gceist: 1. Níos Mó Postanna agus Postanna Níos Fearr 2. Pá Níos Fearr 3. Infheistíocht i Seirbhísí Níos Fearr Agus an téarnamh á choinneáil ag imeacht againn, is é aidhm ár bplean ná go mbainfeadh Éire an méid seo a leanas amach faoi 2022 - céad bliain i ndiaidh bhunú an Stáit: • Post a chur ar fáil do gach duine is mian leis post a bheith aige • Na tacaíochtaí riachtanacha a chur ar fáil do theaghlaigh ionas gur féidir leo éalú ón mbochtaineacht • 70,000 duine dár dteaghlaigh agus dár gcairde a d’imigh mar gheall ar an ngéarchéim a thabhairt abhaile • Deis chothrom sa saol a thabhairt do gach leanbh trí na seirbhísí sláinte, oideachais agus teaghlaigh a theastaíonn uathu a chur ar fáil dóibh D’fhoghlaim Fine Gael ó na botúin a rinne rialtais a tháinig romhainn - tá a fhios againn nach féidir ach le geilleagar láidir a thacaíonn le daoine i bhfostaíocht íoc as na seirbhísí riachtanacha le haghaidh sochaí chóir. Táimid tiomanta gan ligean d’éire filleadh ar an aimsir a caitheadh – gan dul ar ais chucu siúd a scrios an geilleagar ar an gcéad dul síos, agus chucu siúd a scriosfadh fostaíocht le cánacha nua. Cabhróidh ár bPlean Eacnamaíochta Fadtéarmach le seasamh na héireann a neartú ionas go mbeidh sí ina tír atá ar mhaithe le postanna agus le teaghlaigh agus ina tír ina mbeidh cobhsaíocht, comhdheiseanna agus fás. Geallaim duit go gcoinneoimid an tír ar an gcaoi sin. I dteannta mhuintir na héireann, coinneoidh Fine Gael an téarnamh ag imeacht. Enda Kenny TD Leader Fine Gael FINE GAEL General Election Manifesto 2016 7 GENERAL ELECTION MANIFESTO 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. FINE GAEL 8 General Election Manifesto 2016 The Long Term Economic Plan – Three Steps to Keep the Recovery Going Thanks to the hard work and resilience of the Irish 1.