Agriculture
We are committed to creating a dynamic and sustainable future for Irish agriculture, in which the family farm remains viable and our rural communities can prosper. We will ensure that the safety, quality and security of Irish food production is protected and the competitiveness of the industry is enhanced. Investment in a major new agri-environment scheme and the honouring of REPS contracts in 2010 will ensure the rural environment is protected.
Arts, Sports and Tourism
We are committed to sustainable tourism, encouraging excellence in sporting and artistic achievement, facilitating greater access to sport and the arts and preserving of our cultural inheritance.
Banking
Over the last eighteen months we have put in place a range of far reaching measures to stabilise the banking system. We took those measures not for the sake of the banks but for the sake of our economy.
We have taken determined and decisive action to restore and stabilise our banking system. This includes:
- the bank guarantee scheme;
- nationalisation of Anglo Irish Bank;
- the recapitalisation of AIB and Bank of Ireland;
- the establishment of the National Asset Management Agency.
Climate Change and Environment
The protection of our environment is a priority for Fianna Fáil. We are committed to an ambitious environmental programme which includes protecting and preserving our water resources, the upgrading of our water services infrastructure and continued improvements in waste management policy. As promised in the renewed Programme for Government, water metering in households will be implemented to promote more efficient use of water, while revenue raised through the new carbon levy will be used to make our economy more energy efficient. The introduction of Ireland’s first climate change bill in 2010 will also be key to Ireland becoming a low carbon economy.
Communications and Energy
Recognising the benefits of sustainable energy, particularly in the areas of energy security, climate change and job creation, Fianna Fail is committed to maximising Ireland’s energy efficiency and supporting innovation in the sector. Fianna Fail in Government has set Ireland a challenging target of delivering 20% energy efficiency savings by 2020. A higher target of 33% has been set for the public sector. In conjunction with this, Fianna Fail is determined to position Ireland as a leading broadband nation by developing state of the art telecommunications infrastructure. The €250m national broadband scheme is tasked with the national roll-out of broadband
Consumer Protection
Fianna Fail believes that everything possible and reasonable should be done to ensure that consumers are adequately protected without placing unrealistic or impractical obligations on traders. We recognise that value for money is particularly important for families struggling to deal with the financial burdens imposed by the recession. Legislation is currently being prepared to consolidate and update laws in the area of competition and consumer rights. We have recently introduced a number of initiatives designed to protect consumers with regards to mortgage re-payments and cross-border shopping.
Crime and Justice
Fianna Fail is committed to tackling crime in all its forms. We have ensured that an Garda Síochána remain well resourced despite the current downturn. We have built over 1,600 prison places and opened a new world class courts building. We have prioritised the fight against organised crime and introduced a raft of new legislation in this area such as the groundbreaking Criminal Justice Amendment Act. We have also taken steps to address the causes of crime by supporting communities through various programmes. Prevention, policing and punishment are fundamental to our approach to tackling crime.
Defence
Fianna Fail supports a policy of military neutrality. Our military neutrality means more than just not belonging to a military alliance. It means that we will at all times decide for ourselves how and where our troops are deployed and how much we spend on defence. Fianna Fail in government is preparing a White Paper on Defence, which will provide the policy framework for defence for the period 2011 – 2020, taking account of the defence and security environment.
Economy
The Irish economy is facing its greatest challenge since the foundation of the state. We have taken bold, decisive and innovative steps to manage our way through this crisis. The Government over the past 18 months has made budgetary adjustments of more than €8 billion for 2009. Had we not done so, the deficit would have ballooned towards 20 per cent of GDP. The measures we have taken have been commended by international bodies such as the European Central Bank, the European Commission, the IMF and the OECD and he approval of the international markets.
In December 2008, Fianna Fail in Government launched a five year plan for economic renewal entitled “Building Ireland’s Smart Economy, A Framework for Sustainable Economic Renewal.” Our aim is to develop Ireland as a leading knowledge-based, high productivity economy by harnessing the best elements of the enterprise economy and the “ideas” economy.
Education
We are committed to investing in the largest school building programme in the history of the state while also achieving real value for money. In line with recent commitments in the programme for Government, front line services will be protected through the maintenance of class sizes and capitation grants at current levels, the provision of extra teachers at primary and post primary level and continued investment in higher education.
Health Services and Children
The development of a world-class public health service is a core objective for us. We have made significant improvements and we are committed to building on them to secure further improvements. Irish people are living longer, there has been a 40% reduction in death rates from smoking related diseases since 1997.Infant mortality rates in Ireland have fallen dramatically over the last few decades. We have established the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) . It is aimed at providing world class cancer prevention and treatment services for our whole population, irrespective of means, region, address, or medical status.
Fianna Fáil has put the interests of children at the heart of Government.
This has been reinforced by the creation of the Office of the Minister for Children, with the Minister for Children attending Cabinet meetings, ensuring that the interests of children are taken into account in an unprecedented manner across all areas of government.
Housing
We are committed to the continued restructuring of the Social Housing Programme away from construction towards more flexible delivery mechanisms, such as long term leasing and the Rental Accommodation Scheme. The housing budget for 2010 represents a very positive outcome for homeless people, people with disabilities, older people, communities in need of social, physical and economic renewal, and improving the environmental performance of housing with significant funds ringfenced for those in energy poverty.
Jobs
Fianna Fail is fully committed to getting people back to work. Budget 2010 lays the foundations of the smart economy through major stimulus measures such as the national retro-fit programme and an allocation of €6.4 billion in infrastructure projects. Various schemes such as the Enterprise Stabilisation Fund and the Employment Subsidy Fund have been inroduced to support the maintenance of vulnerable jobs and to prevent people from being made redundant. In terms of tackling unemployment, support and training will be made available to 180,000 individuals in 2010 via programmes such as the Work Placement Programme and the Community Employment Scheme.
Local Government
Fianna Fail is committed to economic renewal and sustainable development. The new planning bill which will come into force this year will strengthen local government and improve the planning process making it more transparent and democratic. The White Paper on Local Government will be published early in 2010 setting out Government policy on local Government around the country. Elections for a new Mayor of Dublin will proceed in 2010. As promised in the renewed programme for Government, water metering in households will be implemented to promote more efficient use of water and increase the revenue base of local authorities.
Older People
We are committed to developing a comprehensive range of services for older people. We will ensure that older people can live in dignity and where this is not feasible, older people should have access to quality, affordable long-term residential care. We are committed to the needs of pensioners and they were the only group exempted from the necessary social welfare cuts in Budget 2010.
Overseas Development
Ireland has one of the most effective development cooperation programmes in the world and one of which all Irish people can be proud. In 2010 Irish taxpayers, through our development programme, will spend €671 million in some of the poorest countries in the world in the fight against hunger, poverty and exclusion. There are two key elements in any effective aid programme. One is the volume of aid and the other is its quality. Of equal importance is the quality of the programme. The quality of our aid programme has been improving over many years.
Programme for Government
Fianna Fáil and the Green Party have worked well together over the past two years providing good government for country during a period of unprecedented global economic turmoil. We are now publishing the results of the Review of our Programme for Government. Our initial Programme for Government made clear that its delivery was based on a growth rate of 4.5%.
It was negotiated prior to the worst to the worst global downtown since the 1930s. Our review is about ensuring the Programme for Government reflects current economic realities. Achievement of the goals set out in both documents, subject to resources, will provide the political basis of Government action, until we complete our term in 2012.
Public Sector
We recognise the excellent work and commitment of the public sector.
However due to our economic circumstances we introduced the Public Sector Pension levy which resulted in an average deduction of 7½% from the salaries of public servants in February 2009. We also introduced an early retirement scheme for staff aged 50 and career breaks.
While in March 2009 a ban on recruitment and promotion was introduced, unfortunately due to the difficult position we find ourselves in this has not been sufficient. In formulating Budget 2010 the Government has considered the recommendations of the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector. From the 1st of January 2010, the Government will apply permanent reductions to all public servants. Those who earn most will give back most.
Rural Affairs
We are committed to the development of rural Ireland through the continued investment in transport, roads and employment in rural areas. Funding for the Rural Transport Programme is being maintained in 2010 in recognition of the important role it plays in combating rural isolation. Following a review in 2009, a revised Scheme of Community Support for Older People will be introduced providing security for upwards of 9,000 older people in their homes. We are also committed to increased investment in capital Rural Development measures, including investment in the CLAR Programme.
Social Welfare
Fianna Fail is committed to protecting the most vulnerable in our society.When resources were available, we invested heavily in improving social welfare rates and services for all those who are reliant on the State for income support. We are now, however, being forced to do more with less. Recognising that the best way to reduce people’s dependency on social welfare is to get people back to work, we have introduced a number of re-training and up-skilling incentives and programmes. We take the issue of social welfare fraud very seriously and have introduced ambitious targets and new measures in this area.
Transport
In line with recent commitments in the Programme for Government, we will continue to deliver an unprecedented level of major transport projects with greater priority being put on public transport projects and Smarter Travel. Transport 21 will underpin our competitiveness, promote balanced regional growth and enhance the quality of life for generations to come. We will also pursue further reforms of the road safety regime and continue with our determined approach to reducing deaths on our roads.
