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A Strong Economy, Sustainable Into the Future

May 6, 2007

A Strong Economy, Sustainable Into the Future

Sinn Féin wants a strong economy that is sustainable into the future. We are committed to building and maintaining an economic environment that enhances enterprise and job creation and that provides favourable conditions for business to operate in and for people to live and work in. We believe in economic reintegration and sovereignty. We believe in regional equality and balanced regional development. We know that achieving all these things will require government intervention and planning and public investment.

Current Government policy has failed to address rising inflation, an over-reliance on foreign direct investment and an over-dependence on the construction sector. The government has failed to promote balanced regional development and infrastructure and service provision is still not good enough in many parts of the State. The levels of research and development (R&D) remain too low. There is no coherent plan for developing indigenous business or for training and upskilling the workforce. There is a worrying and unacceptable move by some employers to sustain competitiveness on the back of low-paid and exploited migrant workers, and the Government has not prevented this. Furthermore, the active dismantling of the public enterprise sector has impeded the economy overall: for example the privatisation of Eircom significantly slowed broadband rollout.

The Government has also failed to proactively plan to meet future challenges to the economy, including specifically planning for workers employed in vulnerable sectors. According to the National Competitiveness Council, in the five years to March 2006 manufacturing industries lost over 32,000 jobs. Many of the jobs lost in rural areas are not being replaced - with devastating local effects. Many of the new jobs cited by the Government as replacing those lost are only part-time. That's not good enough.

Sinn Féin is the party most committed to developing a regionally balanced, single economy. We are the only party who understands the urgency of diversifying our competitive base to safeguard our economic health. We are the party most committed to the development of the indigenous business sector and to protecting jobs and workers. Only Sinn Féin has a credible and comprehensive plan to grow and spread prosperity.

The Sinn Féin Platform for a Strong Economy

Sinn Féin's plan for a strong and sustainable economy involves five main priorities:

building the all-Ireland economy including all-Ireland economic planning and balanced regional development;
providing world class infrastructure and public services to enhance Irish competitiveness;
supporting enterprise and job creation;
ensuring that workers' rights are fully protected in this process;
supporting agriculture which provides 20% of all jobs outside the public sector.

We plan to diversify the basis of Irish competitiveness by investing in infrastructure, public services, R&D and a highly educated workforce, and by intervening to bring down business costs in key areas such as energy and insurance.

We propose to assist indigenous business development by supporting small and medium enterprises, social economy (non-profit community or co-operatively-owned) enterprises, and strategic sectors identified for growth.

We plan to invest in research and development, entrepreneurship and innovation, enterprise clusters and networks, and education and training. We would focus on provision of infrastructure and investment on an all-Ireland basis. We also propose a single currency, a single labour market and a harmonised tax regime for the island.

Building the All-Ireland Economy

Economic reunification and sovereignty is at the core of Sinn Féin economic policy. Partition is wasteful and inefficient for the Irish economy as a whole. It involves duplication of government and public service structures. It imposes an unnecessary administrative burden on those wishing to do business in both jurisdictions. It means we are competing with ourselves for economic investment, as well as with the rest of the world.

It is now widely recognised that our economic future depends on moving towards all-Ireland economic integration. Despite the recent lipservice given to all-Ireland development by the Government parties in particular, Sinn Féin is unquestionably the party most committed to deliver this.

We also need to invest and plan for balanced regional development so that no part of the country is excluded from the benefits of economic growth. The State must make robust interventions to reverse the legacy of underinvestment and neglect and bring economic equality to the regions including and especially the Border, Midlands and West of the Shannon and the Bann. Sinn Féin's decision to choose the Ministry for Regional Development over other important portfolios signals the degree of priority we would accord this in Government.

The Sinn Féin Platform for Economic Reintegration and Regional Equality

Sinn Féin proposes to accelerate all-Ireland economic reintegration pending reunification.
We will take all necessary measures to end economic discrimination and regional inequality by proactively planning and investing to rebalance regional development.

The Sinn Féin Record in Leinster House:

Our Dáil Team consistently made the case for the development of the all-Ireland economy across the public and private sectors, and for the integration of services, so that we maximise the resources of our island in all areas from the health services to the mobile phone network.

Sinn Féin Priorities in Government:

Strengthening the All-Ireland Economy

Adopt and implement pro-active all-Ireland economic development strategies, including an all-Ireland Economic Development Plan.
Amalgamate inward investment agencies such as IDA Ireland and Invest NI into a single All-Ireland Investment Agency with a remit to assist indigenous industry. In the short term, ensure that they work together in a regionally-balanced manner, rather than competing with each other.
Ensure maximum all-Ireland co-ordination in the use of EU funds.
Harmonise the fiscal and legislative business environments.
Begin an open debate on the benefits of one currency for the whole island.
Remove obstacles to island-wide labour mobility.

Achieving Balanced Regional Development

Adopt an all-Ireland Balanced Regional Development Strategy, based on objective need criteria, to end the imbalance in financial support for economic development and underinvestment in infrastructure along the border and in the west.
Establish a public investment programme to ensure that Government departments and agencies not only deliver investment to the regions on an equal basis but proactively invest in historically neglected and underdeveloped areas to reverse the current imbalance.
Create new incentives for private investment in areas of high unemployment or social deprivation.

Providing World Class Infrastructure

Infrastructure is one of the most important pillars of competitiveness in the global economy. The Government has failed to give this sufficient priority despite having the resources available. The state of infrastructure continues to be an impediment to further, more regionally-balanced growth.

Business and workers urgently need improved public transport provision, including an enhanced railway network. Our transport system has never fully recovered from the closure of rail lines in the 1950s and 60s. Public transport continues to be severely under-funded, traffic gridlock is a chronic problem, many areas lack railway provision and there is a virtual absence of a rural community-based transport system. Business and workers also need efficient and safe road networks, and road networks in turn need planned development and proper maintenance. Vast sums have been spent on construction and upgrading of national primary routes in recent years, but much of this development has been uneven and significant gaps remain. Enhanced air and sea port provision are also important to economic development, and they deserve greater attention and State-led development on an all-Ireland basis.

Business needs communications infrastructure for sustainable economic growth and competitiveness. We lag behind other states in broadband provision. As a result of the decision to privatise Eircom, we went from Europe's second highest telecommunications technological availability to 23rd in less than a decade. In addition, the imposition of cross-border mobile roaming charges is not reasonable and needs to end. An Post provides a valuable and effective service that reaches everyone throughout the State and deserves safeguarding and diversification, not closures.

Business also needs affordable and reliable energy sources. The Government has failed to develop domestic energy production and all-Ireland networks, and has allowed Ireland to remain overdependent on foreign and non-renewable energy supplies and thus captive to oil price rises. The domestic renewable energy sector is underdeveloped despite huge potential. Some areas of the country still do not have natural gas connectivity. In addition, rather than keeping electricity prices as low as possible in the public interest, the Government has presided over unreasonable ESB increases as part of a cynical exercise in fattening the company for private sale.

Sinn Féin is strongly committed to deliver world class infrastructure. We believe that infrastructure provision is one of the core responsibilities of Government.

The Sinn Féin Platform on Infrastructure Provision

Sinn Féin proposes to plan, configure and fund all infrastructure - transport, communications and energy - on an all-Ireland basis.

Development of these strategic sectors which are so essential to continued economic growth cannot be left to chance and to the market. They can be efficiently and cost-effectively run by the public sector and should not be privatised. We therefore propose that infrastructure development should be publicly funded and State-led.

We would prioritise environmentally sustainable public transport. In energy provision, we would support accelerated development of affordable renewable energy as a priority as this is the way of the future, and will also enhance increased Irish energy independence and we would bring Ireland onto the right side of the 'digital divide'.

The Sinn Féin Record in Leinster House:

Our Dáil Team rejected the privatisation of our public transport system and called for an increase in the subvention to Bus Átha Cliath and Bus Éireann in order to acquire more much-needed buses.
We sponsored a motion and Dáil debate opposing the privatisation of our national airline and raised the concerns of Aer Lingus workers.
We called for increased rail usage to distribute freight and take trucks off our already congested roads, and called for the speedy completion of the Western Rail Corridor.
We expressed our opposition to motorway and road tolls.
We opposed the privatisation of Eircom and criticised the Government's abysmal telecommunications record on broadband uptake and under-provision in rural areas.
We urged Minister to end the rip-off of mobile phone customers and abolish roaming charges, a major problem in border areas.
We put pressure on the Minister for Communications to intervene to stop the closure of post offices, especially in rural areas.

Sinn Féin Priorities in Government:

Increased Investment in an All-Ireland Public Transport Network

Increase investment in public transport, reject privatisation, make service more frequent and keep fares affordable.
Reverse the policy of phasing out rail freight and institute a full review and restoration of this energy-efficient form of transport.
Reopen many of the rail lines closed in the mid to late twentieth century, and plan for an extensive expansion of an all-Ireland rail network on an accelerated basis, including an extended Western Rail Corridor serving Donegal and Derry, the Derry-Dublin rail link, and the West Cork railway network.
Prioritise rapid construction of rail/metro links to Dublin Airport and development of the Heuston-Connolly rail link.
Develop a rail link to Shannon Airport, a Dublin-Navan rail link and upgrade the Derry-Belfast rail link.
Increase funding and provision of buses in rural areas and provide 500 extra buses for Bus Átha Cliath.
Legislate for mandatory public transport provision, including park-and-ride facilities, to be factored into all major housing developments at the earliest planning stages.
Legislate and budget to ensure that all public transport is accessible to people with disabilities.
Building an All-Ireland Road Network
Build a North-West Motorway/high speed dual carriageway serving the route from Dublin to Donegal/Derry.
Complete the M3 to serve the hard-pressed commuters of Meath and re-route it away from Tara, one of the nation's most important historical sites.
Repeal the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006, which undemocratically restricts the ability of citizens to challenge planning decisions and forces major projects through the planning process.
Oppose the use of Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) to finance road construction.
Abolish road tolls.
Increase public funding for road upgrading and maintenance.
Concentrate expenditure on increasing cycle lanes provision.
Adopt a biofuel policy including tax incentives for the production of ethanol and provide incentives for car buyers to choose more environmentally friendly and efficient cars such as hybrid cars.

Improving Air Networks and Sea Ports on an All-Ireland Basis

Initiate an all-Ireland strategic review of the air industry, including carriers and airports.
Initiate an all-Ireland strategic review of the sea ports.
Use Public Service Obligations to ensure the delivery of air services in the west and north-west and on an all-Ireland basis.
Reverse the break-up of Aer Rianta, and return Air Lingus and Irish Ferries to public ownership or establish new companies in public ownership.
Universal Broadband and an All-Ireland Phone Network
Invest to bring the Irish broadband network up to a satisfactory level and bridge the existing gap.
Bring Eircom back into public ownership or establish a new company in public ownership.
Set a target by which all telephone lines must be ADSL-enabled.
Introduce all-Ireland co-operation to integrate telecommunications systems on the island, thereby improving the service and reduce costs particularly for those in the border region.
Provide universal access to broadband on an all-Ireland basis.
Establish an all-Ireland mobile phone network, with reasonable all-Ireland tariffs.
Saving, Developing and Diversifying An Post
End the closure of Post Offices throughout the country.
Reject privatisation of An Post and ensure it remains as a state asset under public control.
Support the further diversification of the rural post office network into other areas of service provision.

Enhancing All-Ireland Energy Networks, Controlling Prices, Developing Renewables

Develop an All-Ireland Energy Strategy to expand all-Ireland networks, accelerate development of the renewable energy sector with progressive targets towards energy independence, and bring domestic energy prices down.
Ensure that an all-Ireland energy market benefits all through the provision of affordable sustainable energy and security of supply.
Put an end to the artificial inflation of ESB prices, which results from the energy regulator's liberalisation remit and puts an undue burden on small businesses in particular.

Supporting Enterprise and Job Creation

Sinn Féin believes that indigenous business development is crucial for a sustainable economy. Under current Government policy the enterprise environment has actually deteriorated. Businesses large and small are now feeling the pinch from the combined impact of poor infrastructure and gridlock and spiralling energy, insurance, water and waste management prices. Smaller businesses get second class treatment. Only now, in the run-up to the General Election, is the Government finally beginning to take measures to promote R&D.

Sinn Féin is committed to supporting enterprise and job creation and to balanced regional development.

The Sinn Féin Platform for Irish Entrepreneurship

Sinn Féin proposes a package of measures aimed specifically at supporting and developing indigenous enterprise. We would continue to encourage more Foreign Direct Investment but give the same type of supports to small and medium businesses. We would also support agriculture which provides 20% of all jobs outside of the public sector.

We also believe that publicly-owned companies make an important contribution to the Irish economy and business environment - particularly where these are established in strategic sectors - and moreover that these can be run both efficiently and profitably. We do not propose to continue the downsizing of the public sector in the 26 Counties, but rather to retain profitable and especially strategic sector companies in public ownership and to develop new companies where there is scope for this.

The Sinn Féin Record in Leinster House:

Our Dáil Team consistently opposed the privatisation of essential public utilities that are vital to a healthy business environment.
We consistently pressed for an increased focus on supporting indigenous industry and promoting R&D amongst Irish companies.
We pushed for meaningful intervention where jobs were lost as multinational companies moved their operations to lower cost economies. We demanded improved redundancy protections for workers and that the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment carry out an assessment of the relevance of training courses provided by FÁS in meeting the needs of business and those seeking employment.
We called attention to Government failures to focus business development supports on areas such as County Donegal that have experienced significant job losses and have above average levels of unemployment.

Sinn Féin Priorities in Government:

Support for Private Enterprise

Support the development of indigenous micro and small and medium enterprises (SME) and social economy enterprises.
Establish an All-Ireland Small Business Task Force to develop an island-wide strategy for the indigenous SME sector.
Improve support for start-up businesses including provision of increased business advice, guidance and training plus dedicated management development.
Adopt an All-Ireland R&D Strategy co-ordinated through the enterprise development agencies, central and local government, business, trade unions and educational institutions - including a programme of extra assistance to SMEs and new businesses to develop business plans for R&D.
Adopt an All-Ireland Clustering Strategy that both targets the new emerging technologies and strengthens the potential in existing economic sectors such as financial services, agriculture and food processing. Make extra funding and supports available to develop clusters in the more underdeveloped and disadvantaged areas such as the Border Midlands West region.
Initiate a targeted and funded strategy to pre-emptively up-skill workers vulnerable to future jobs-losses following an assessment of sectors and geographic regions likely to experience job losses in the next five years.
Provide specific recycling depots for small business to enable them to reduce their waste management costs.
Initiate a specific Redundancy to Entrepreneurship scheme to assist workers who have become redundant to establish their own businesses.

Support for Public Enterprise

Establish a State oil, gas and mineral exploration company.
Establish a publicly-owned company to develop Irish renewable energy resources for the benefit of the nation.
Actively pursue the return of Eircom, Aer Lingus and Irish Ferries to public ownership or establish new State companies in these sectors.
Oppose the privatisation of the ESB and other public sector companies.
Explore and pursue possibilities for establishing new profitable companies in public ownership, particularly in strategic sectors.

Developing Social Economy and Cooperative Enterprise

Adopt a co-ordinated and comprehensive Social Economy Strategy on an all- Ireland and cross-departmental basis.
Establish an appropriately-funded, all-Ireland Social Economy Development Agency (including a dedicated Co-operative Development Unit) to develop the sector strategically.
Ensure increased investment in community-owned enterprise units and infrastructure by the enterprise development agencies.
Provide specific government support for social economy community-run projects in the renewable energy, housing and agricultural sectors.

Promoting Workers' Rights

Sinn Féin believes that workers' rights are basic requirements of a healthy economy and a just society. We aim to end exploitation and unsafe working conditions and to ensure that everyone can have rewarding employment, a fair income and a good quality family life.

Government policy has steadily eroded workers' rights over the last decade. Employers displace well-paid workers for lower-paid labour because they can do so in the absence of strict regulation and stringent enforcement. Evidence of exploitation involving abuse of migrant workers is mounting across the State.

Yet weak regulation and poor enforcement have resulted in low rates of inspection and prosecution for violations. The rate of working households in poverty has doubled over the last decade as a result of low-paid employment. Non-enforcement, insufficient penalties and deficiencies in law all contribute to high-levels of work-related illness, injuries and fatalities. In 2005, 73 people lost their lives in work-related accidents.

Sinn Féin has established a new Trade Union Department and published a detailed plan to bring workers' rights back to the centre of economic and social policy.

The Sinn Féin Workers' Rights Platform

Sinn Féin's priority is to better the lot of all workers in Ireland. We advocate employment based on equality with fair conditions and a secure living wage, in a work environment that is safe, healthy and free from harassment and discrimination. Rogue employers who operate dangerous workplaces or unsafe work practices or who exploit workers and violate labour law in Ireland must be made subject to stringent penalties. Employers must be made to recognise trade unions and trade unions' right to organise recognised in law.

Sinn Féin recognises that Irish workers and trade unions have legitimate concerns regarding 'displacement' by lower-paid workers, including migrant workers. 'Displacement' is not so much the exchange of Irish workers for non-Irish workers but the exchange of organised workers with good pay, conditions and benefits for unorganised workers who are ripe for exploitation. The solution to displacement therefore lies in regulating employment standards (including pay and working conditions) for all workers, and their effective enforcement to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable workers for profit.

Sinn Féin also proposes enactment of a new generation of employment equality legislation. Particularly as we move towards an all-Ireland labour market, we propose an upward-harmonisation of employment equality law - as well as all other workers' rights - on an all-Ireland basis. We plan to enshrine workers' rights in the 1937 Constitution in a future All-Ireland Charter of Rights and in a United Irish Constitution. These will include the right of workers organise, to join trade unions, to negotiate contracts of employment, and to strike. Sinn Féin would establish a Department and Minister of Labour.

The Sinn Féin Record in Leinster House:

Our Dáil Team published the Corporate Manslaughter Bill 2007 to make employers accountable for the death of an employee in the workplace as a result of negligence.
We regularly called attention to cases of migrant worker exploitation, and proposed amendments to the Employment Permits Bill to enshrine equal rights for migrant workers, to change the law so that all employment permits would be issued directly to the worker and to extend family reunification and employment rights.
We used the Private Members Time in the Dáil to initiate a debate calling for the establishment of a stand alone Department of Labour Affairs.
In the Dáil Sinn Féin has consistently demanded government action on workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses.

Sinn Féin Priorities in Government:

Promoting Trade Union Rights and Establishing a Department of Labour

Hold a referendum to enshrine in the 1937 Constitution the right of workers to form, join and be represented by trade unions, to negotiate contracts of employment, and to engage in industrial action and trade union activities. This will have the effect of making trade union recognition mandatory.
Harmonise labour law upwards on an all-Ireland basis.
Establish a Department of Labour with a full Minister and a Joint Oireachtas Committee on Labour Affairs.

Ending Exploitation

Establish a toll-free 24 hour Workers' Rights Helpline.
Determine the optimum number of labour inspectors, as well as the legal and other professional supports required and immediately implement any necessary increase.
Introduce a penalty points system against rogue employers who consistently violate labour law, with a range of penalties including a bar from eligibility for public contracts and removal from the companies register.
Review, strengthen and introduce where necessary new Employment Regulation Orders covering service sector employment.
Increase regulation of the apprenticeship system and extend minimum wage legislation to cover apprentices.
Increase regulation and introduce licensing of employment agencies.
Increase regulation of contractors and subcontractors to end exploitation through coerced bogus self-employment.
Adopt public purchasing and investment policies to bar companies engaged in exploitation of workers or anti-trade union activities from receiving Government contracts.
Introduce public disclosure ('whistleblowers') protection legislation.

Combating Displacement by Promoting Equal Rights for Migrant Workers

Legislate to establish rights and entitlements for migrant workers equivalent to those of host society workers.
Amend the law to provide that in all cases employment permits are issued directly to migrant workers and not their employers, and to extend migrant workers' rights to family reunification and employment.

Combating Low Pay

Immediately increase the minimum wage to 60% of the average industrial wage and abolish age and experience differentials.
Provide for stringent enforcement of minimum wage legislation and increase penalties for non-compliance.
Establish a Low Pay Commission responsible for developing a time-framed National Strategy for the Reduction of Wage Differentials between low paid and high-paid workers.
Initiate a review of workers' pay and conditions with a remit to recommend remedies for deficiencies identified.

Sick Pay, Overtime Pay and Better Protection from Redundancy

Introduce a Statutory Sick Pay Scheme.
Introduce a statutory entitlement to overtime pay.
Legislate to introduce redundancy protection from the first day of employment with no minimum qualifying hours per week, and increase redundancy payments to a minimum of four weeks of pay per year of service.

Pension Justice

Investigate the introduction of a basic non-means tested pension supplementing second tier (PRSI/Carers' Credit-related) pensions.

Enforcing and Improving Workplace Health and Safety

Immediately introduce a package of robust prevention and enforcement initiatives to tackle work-related illness, injuries and fatalities including increased prosecutions and penalties for violations of health and safety law and standards.
Introduce a package of programmes to tackle other work-related hazards such as toxic stress and bullying as well as truly effective workplace drug and alcohol policies.
Increase the number of health and safety inspectors to a level that enables the Health and Safety Authority to effectively fulfil all its responsibilities under existing worker health and safety legislation.
Introduce a penalty point system to deal with companies and employers that consistently transgress health and safety law, with a range of penalties including removal from the companies register and a bar from eligibility for public contracts.
Immediately enact corporate manslaughter legislation.
Develop a ten-year All-Ireland Health and Safety at Work Strategy.

Promoting Work-Life Balance

Introduce a statutory right to request flexible working arrangements that requires all employers to 'seriously consider' this and only permits refusal where there is a compelling business case.

Promoting Employment Equality

Amend employment equality legislation to prohibit discrimination on all the following grounds: race, ethnic origin (including membership of the Travelling community), nationality, colour, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, disability, age, social or economic status, marital or family status, residence, language, religious belief, criminal conviction (save where the offence would be objectively incompatible with job responsibilities), political or other opinion or membership of a trade union.
Introduce legal sanctions on those who promote or incite discrimination or who directly participate in sectarian, racist, homophobic, or sexual harassment or other victimisation on any of the prohibited grounds.
Legislate to prohibit employment discrimination against former political prisoners.
Develop a specific state-wide strategy to tackle high rates of unemployment among disabled workers with effective supports for the public and private sector to recruit people with disabilities.
Introduce subsidy and tax relief measures on the cost of workplace adaptations to accommodate workers with disabilities.

An Equal Economy, Where Wealth is Shared

Sinn Féin believes that we need an economy that is not only strong but also equal. The world's most equal economies are also among the most stable and prosperous. That is what we want for our country.

The 26 Counties may have become one of the world's richest state but it is also one of the most unequal. The policies of successive Irish Governments have created an economy in which the wealthiest 20% now earns more than ten times the income of the poorest 20%.

Inequality is not good for the economy - it is wasteful and costly. It is not equality but poverty that drains public resources. It is far better for all of us when everybody can make their full contribution to our economy and society. When everyone is working and earning a decent income, they are also spending, supporting businesses and paying their fair share of tax to ensure that the Government can provide all the services, social supports and other infrastructure needed to grow and spread prosperity.

All parties claim to oppose poverty and support equality. Only Sinn Féin has brought the Equality Agenda to the centre of all our economic and social policy.

The Sinn Féin Platform for an Equal Economy

Equality is at the heart of Sinn Féin's agenda for government. We believe in the right to universal access to excellent healthcare, education and childcare. We believe in the constitutional right to a home. We believe in building the economy and using the wealth created for the public good. We believe that people should pay according to their ability to pay and that everyone should have equal access to the highest quality public services, infrastructure and social protections.

For ten years there has been unprecedented revenue available to the Irish Government. They have had the ability and the resources to deal effectively with poverty and inequality. They have had the resources to deliver an end to the crisis in the health service, to build social and affordable housing, to provide a decent education system and to introduce comprehensive childcare. They have chosen not to. Sinn Féin would make different choices.

Sinn Féin believes that public finances should be used to share the wealth by ensuring the highest possible quality of infrastructure and public services are available equally to all as of right. We undertake to guarantee that everyone's basic needs and rights to food and warmth, housing, health, education and childcare are met and that all have the benefit of a comprehensive regime of social protections. We are committed to eliminate poverty through the progressive achievement of the equitable distribution of the wealth of Ireland amongst the people of Ireland.

These objectives require taxation justice, a new emphasis on the generation of significant non-tax revenue, and public spending policies that are sustainable, transparent and accountable and that eliminate waste. They will also require the removal of many of the current constraints on our economic sovereignty imposed by the EU.

Eliminating Poverty

Sinn Féin believes that poverty must be eradicated. Our society is now in a better position than ever before to achieve this.

Yet the current Irish Government has failed to use our economic success to benefit everyone. It has failed to share the abundant wealth with those most vulnerable such as the unemployed, large families, lone parent families, those in low-income jobs, older people, and people with disabilities. As a consequence of bad policy choices and wrong priorities, nearly one in five people are still at risk of poverty and struggle to make ends meet. Almost 275,000 people are still poor enough that they lack some of the necessities of life including adequate food, shelter, warmth and clothing. We have one of the highest rates of child poverty in the EU and OECD. Over 60,000 people cannot afford to adequately heat their homes.

All parties pay lip service to eliminating poverty. Only Sinn Féin brings this commitment into the heart of our economic policy and elevates it as our principal economic objective. Elimination of poverty is a national aspiration shared by virtually every Irish person and we are committed to do what is necessary to achieve this goal.

The Sinn Féin Anti-Poverty Platform

We believe there is a positive obligation on government to eliminate poverty by providing a comprehensive system of social supports to ensure that everyone has a decent quality of life, does not lack for essentials, and can access appropriate education and employment. Social welfare reforms should not be used to force people into low paid employment, creating a larger substratum of 'working poor'.

We propose to take all necessary steps to genuinely ease the transition from welfare to work through education and employment measures, accessible and affordable childcare, and appropriate and adequate income supports. We propose a package of measures to raise household incomes, enhance specific supports for low-income families, eradicate food and fuel poverty, bring early school leavers back into education, increase support for unpaid care work and tackle disability-related poverty.

The Sinn Féin Record in Leinster House:

Our Dáil Team was to the fore in highlighting the fact that poverty has left a significant proportion of the population marginalised and excluded. We called the Government to account for it inaction on the National Anti-Poverty Strategy commitments and on child poverty.
We repeatedly raised with the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the fact that social welfare payments and pensions are not adequate to keep people out of poverty.
We opposed cuts in Community Employment (CE) and J1 schemes.
Every year at Budget time we pressed for additional assistance for lone parents who experience disproportionate levels of poverty.
We were foremost in pressing for an increase in Child Dependent Allowance when the government maintained a freeze on it.
We continuously raised the issue of fuel poverty, including specifically pushing for additional measures to address the impact of fuel price increases.
Since 2004 our Pre-Budget Submissions Putting Children First and Putting Low Income Families First included proposals aimed at ending poverty for those in employment and increasing social protections of those out of work or working in the home. We also put forward specific proposals for helping the less well off cope with rising costs.

Sinn Féin Priorities in Government:

Raising Household Incomes

Increase the minimum wage to 60% of average industrial earnings, index-linked to inflation. Eliminate the discriminatory lower rate of pay for young people.
Set a new longer term benchmark against which the evolution of social welfare rtes can be measured. Sinn Féin is proposing that a new short term target of 35% of gross average industrial earnings be set.
Double the Living Alone Allowance.
Increase the Family Income Supplement by €68 per week and make it an automatic payment. Ensure all those eligible take it up, reduce the qualifying working hours and make it more flexible to recognise seasonal work.
Extend eligibility for the Back to Work Allowance to include those who are unemployed for more than 12 months.
Extend the new Early Childcare Supplement to include children aged 6 to 12.

Enhancing Specific Supports for Lone Parents

Ensure lone parents can keep their rent supplement for at least 3 years of full-time work and continually if they are in part-time employment.
Introduce adequate supports to ensure that lone parents in work can access well-paid and meaningful employment, including a comprehensive revamp of schemes for bringing lone parents back into the formal education system as a crucial element of incentives to return to work.
Ensure that proposed reforms replacing the One Parent Family Payment with a Parental Allowance are accompanied by adequate education/training and childcare supports
Remove the cut-off point for the new Parental Allowance (proposed when children reach the age of 7).

Eradicating Food and Fuel Poverty

Increase the weekly fuel allowance payment to €25, or the equivalent in an allowance for units of electricity and heating fuel, for those on social welfare payments and families eligible for FIS, and extend the fuel allowance from the beginning of September to the end of April - for 34 weeks instead of the current 29 weeks.

Bringing Early School Leavers Back Into Education

Make the Back to Education Allowance available to all those on low incomes after six months unemployment.

Increasing Support for Unpaid Care Work

Abolish the means test for carers, substantially increase the Carer's Allowance, respite care and support services and provide for needs assessment and training of carers.
Increase the Orphan Guardian Payment to the level of the Foster Care Allowance. Change the criteria to ensure that grandparents or other family members do not have to agree that the child in question was 'abandoned' in order to receive payments to help look after the children of their drug-addicted sons and daughters and bring supports into line with provision for foster parents.

Tackling Disability-Related Poverty

Introduce a Cost of Disability Payment on a phased basis, to offset extra costs related to disability and in recognition of disproportionate rates of poverty and unemployment among people with disabilities.

Sharing the Wealth by Financing Better Services, Infrastructure and Social Protections

The most important reason for a Government to raise revenue is for the purpose of financing world class public services and infrastructure and social protections from which all benefit or potentially benefit. Sinn Féin believes that this revenue should be raised fairly: those who have more should pay more, and those who have less should pay less. No tax should be unfair or onerous. No one should have to pay twice as a consequence of service charges and user fees for what should be public services already paid for through taxation. The Government should also seek to raise revenue through methods other than taxation or selling off public assets in order to reduce the burden on taxpayers to the greatest possible extent.

The current system for raising public finance is unjust and needs to change. Successive Government policy has created a situation whereby some of the wealthiest people on this island pay no income tax at all - while people on middle incomes are not only paying tax at a rate of 41%, they also pay disproportionately more of their income on tax through consumption tax (VAT) as well as on the indirect or double taxes of service charges and user fees. Almost one third of the overall tax take is raised through consumption tax. When taken together with excise duties, it amounts to nearly half of all tax receipts.

The coalition government redistributed wealth in favour of the already-wealthy. They have allowed the super-rich to skim off the rest of us. They have also sold off public assets and profitable public companies and contracted public services out privately. This policy has not only deprived the State of important sources of non-tax revenue, it has also subjected people to double taxation.

All parties claim to be in favour of fair taxation but none has made it happen. Only Sinn Féin has the will to tackle the super rich - the exploiters who make super profits by the clever use of tax loopholes - and to maximise public ownership of profitable companies. Sinn Féin is committed to public finance reform and taxation justice, to enhancing non-tax sources of public revenue, and to spending the public wealth responsibly - on the delivery of services, infrastructure and social protections for the benefit of all.

The Sinn Féin Platform for Taxation Justice

Our basic principle is that people should pay according to their ability to pay. We believe that tax policy should be about reducing the burden on low and middle-income people as much as possible. It should be about encouraging local small businesses and the social economy. It should be about ensuring there is sufficient revenue to deliver strong public services, infrastructure and social protections. That is what we would work to see delivered in government.

It is not fair that the lower-paid should subsidise the wealthy, as is currently the case. Everybody should pay their fair share - and no more than that.

The tax system needs to be overhauled to bring about a fair and equal system where everybody pays their fair share. Our first order of business for tax policy will be eliminating and closing all the loopholes and reducing the burden on the lowest-paid. We are also committed to reclaim and protect Irish sovereignty over taxation from encroachment by the EU and to harmonise the tax system on an all-Ireland basis.

The Sinn Féin Record in Leinster House:

Our Dáil Team was to the fore in highlighting the injustices at the heart of the present tax regime. Each year we made a Pre-Budget Submission to the Minister for Finance setting out what we believe should be Government priorities.
We demanded the lowering of the burden on low and middle income earners by reducing and removing regressive features that penalise them, including ending indirect taxes such as refuse charges that constitute double taxation.
We were foremost in demanding the abolition of damaging, costly and unjust tax giveaways to speculators and developers.
We strongly opposed Government use of tax breaks to promote the private healthcare business.

Sinn Féin Priorities in Government:

Reducing the Tax Burden on the Lowest Paid

Keep those on or below the minimum wage out of the tax net, and set the minimum wage at a minimum of 60% of average industrial earnings.
Keep those on or below the average industrial earnings within the standard rate tax band.
Oppose the introduction of user fees and service charges for essential public services and review the existing charges that apply to public services to plan for their reduction and removal.
Conduct a comprehensive review of the VAT system in order to identify the best ways to reduce the consumption tax burden on the lowest paid within present EU constraints,. Campaign at EU level for repeal of the EU VAT Directive to restore Member State sovereignty on VAT, and determine the most appropriate way to achieve VAT harmonisation on an all-Ireland basis.

Ensuring the Wealthiest Pay their Fair Share

Aggressively pursue tax evasion and invest adequate resources for tax collection and enforcement.
Close all remaining legal loopholes that have allowed millionaires to pay no tax whatsoever.
Introduce legislation to end tax exile status - the ability of high income individuals to declare themselves 'non-resident for tax purposes'.
Review all current tax exemptions and retain only those where the economic and social value clearly outweighs the cost of the exemption to the Exchequer (for example in the case of R&D).
Increase restrictions on the use of specified tax reliefs by high-income individuals, for example by introducing a ceiling on exempt income.

Fundamental Tax Reform

Conduct an early, comprehensive review of the tax system to be completed within one year, in order to ensure a just and equitable system where everyone pays their fair share of tax but no more than that.
Work for the restoration of economic sovereignty and for EU Member States to retain complete control over taxation policy and strategy, and in particular work for the restoration of Member State competence in relation to VAT through repeal of the EU VAT Directive.
Negotiate for tax harmonisation across the island.

A New Emphasis on Non-Tax Revenue

We aim to keep public service provision high and taxes as low as possible. This means that finding other non-tax sources of public revenue must become a priority. Sinn Féin would therefore put a unique new policy emphasis on maximising non-tax sources of revenue.

Current Government policy is not concerned with this. In 2005 only approximately 1.5% of overall Government revenue came from non-tax sources. There is ample but as yet underdeveloped potential to realise significant revenue from profitable public companies, particularly in strategic sectors such as transport, communications and energy. For example, in 2005 the Exchequer received in excess of €5 million in royalties from Marathon Petroleum, in excess of €10 million from Bord Gáis Éireann, approximately €73.5 million in dividends from the ESB and it is estimated that the Corrib field may contain reserves valued at up to €21 billion.

The experience of Norway where the mineral exploration sector has become one of the engines of economic growth proves the benefits of state involvement in the natural resources sector in particular. Earnings from oil and gas contribute almost one third of state revenue in Norway. In contrast, the Irish Government has actually surrendered our entire stake in any finds, reduced tax levels, abolished royalties and granted long-term frontier licences. All this has been done at a great financial loss to the people of Ireland and the Exchequer.

The Sinn Féin Platform to Enhance Non-Tax Revenue

We would reverse the irresponsible policies of natural resource giveaway and official neglect of opportunities to raise non-tax revenue by investing in profitable public companies.

Moreover, we would invest strategically in the accelerated development of the renewable energy sector, as this is the way of the future: moving us towards environmental sustainability, energy independence and enhanced non-tax sources of public revenue.

We recognise that current EU rules impose some constraints on our objectives. We would therefore work with allies in Europe for the necessary reforms at EU level to remove these impediments, and we would also pursue specific exemptions similar to those achieved by Germany to allow Ireland to use State aid to finance reunification.

The Sinn Féin Record in Leinster House:

Our Dáil Team published a motion advocating the creation of a public company to oversee mineral explorations and the imposition of proper tax and royalties. We raised these demands with the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources on numerous occasions.
We made a comprehensive submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport opposing the proposed privatisation of Aer Lingus, wrote to the EU Commissioner urging an investigation of the attempted takeover of Aer Lingus by Ryanair, repeatedly raised the airline privatisation issue with the Minister for Transport, and moved a Dáil motion opposing the proposed sale of Aer Lingus, prompting a debate in the House. Throughout this campaign we were in regular contact with SIPTU union leaders and raised airline employee concerns regularly in the Dáil.

Sinn Féin Priorities in Government:

Reclaiming our National Resources

Reform the current exploration licensing and taxation regime and renegotiate oil and gas contracts.
Establish a State oil, gas and mineral exploration company that would actively participate and invest in exploration which, alongside a proper revenue and royalties structure, would ensure that such finds benefit the Irish people by providing additional revenue for the Exchequer.

Realising the Potential Revenue from Renewable Energy

Plan for strategic public investment in developing the renewable energy sector including the establishment of a profitable company or companies in public ownership.
Set a target for becoming a net exporter of electricity from renewable sources.

Maintaining Profitable Companies in Public Ownership

Keep the ESB and all other profitable public companies in public ownership.
Actively pursue returning Eircom and Aer Lingus to public ownership.
Explore and pursue the possibilities for the establishment of new public sector companies.
Negotiate at EU level for an exception to the EU State Aid Rules similar to that conceded to Germany, to assist post-partition reconstruction for reunification.

Responsible Spending of Public Wealth in the Public Interest

The big question for many people is whether the vast amount of revenues, generated from both the EU and taxation, are being put to the most efficient use. The answer to that question is No. Official incompetence and corruption have resulted in waste of public resources and failure to meet budget and completion targets. We all know about the faulty electronic voting machines, the PPARS health computer system which does not work, the overruns in the Port Tunnel and other major road and infrastructure projects. There has been some improvement in relation to spending on major road projects in recent months but the overall problem remains. The era of government squandering public finances has to end.

All parties claim a monopoly on fiscal responsibility, but what we need are credible proposals to deal with the problem. Sinn Féin is determined to change the bad planning and procurement policies, the poor decision making and established practices - and to challenge the vested interests, privatisation and lack of public accountability - that have resulted in cost overruns and wastage. We are equally determined to introduce new policies and practices that ensure responsible spending of the public wealth in the public interest.

The Sinn Féin Platform for Responsible Spending

Sinn Féin believes that publicly-funded projects must deliver on budget and on time, and we would take the necessary steps to guarantee value for public money. We propose to introduce efficiency and effectiveness audits to ensure that public spending is meeting economic and social goals. We propose to end the wasting of public funds on Public-Private-Partnerships which are inefficient and ineffective. We propose to introduce significant efficiencies in investment and spending through all-Ireland procurement. And we propose to introduce more direct accountability for public spending and participation in public spending decisions through mechanisms including the establishment of an All-Ireland Consultative Civic Forum.

The Sinn Féin Record in Leinster House:

Our Dáil Team consistently drew attention to the extent to which public money is wasted through PPPs.
We used our annual Pre-Budget Submissions to call for equality-proofing and poverty-proofing of the Budget.

Sinn Féin Priorities in Government:

Introducing Efficiency and Effectiveness Audits

Subject public spending not just to 'value for money' efficiency audits but also to regular effectiveness audits against social and economic goals.

Ending PPP-Related Waste

Empower the Comptroller and Auditor General to examine all existing PPP projects for cost overruns, revenue foregone and wastage against long-term cost and profit projections.
End the use of Public Private Partnerships (PPP) and reassess existing PPP contracts with a view to returning them to the public sector.

Introducing All-Ireland Efficiencies in Spending

Immediately implement public investment as a new area of all-Ireland co-operation, operating as a formal partnership between the Strategic Investment Board in the 6 Counties and the National Development Finance Agency in the 26 Counties, with a remit to include co-ordination of State and local procurement strategies as well as public and social investment.
Establish an All-Ireland Procurement and Purchasing Agency accountable to the Dáil, Assembly and All-Ireland Ministerial Council to introduce greater efficiencies.

Increasing Transparency and Accountability in Public Spending

Establish a mechanism for participatory budgeting through the All-Ireland Consultative Civic Forum to increase accountability and to allow taxpayers and other voters to have direct input into budgetary priorities.
Practice multi-annual budgeting and ring-fence a meaningful proportion for programmes aimed at reversing economic inequality and eliminating poverty.
Establish an All-Ireland Comptroller and Auditor General's Office accountable to the Dáil, Assembly and All-Ireland Ministerial Council sited in the AIMC Directorate.

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Sinn Féin Priorities in Government:

Sinn Féin Priorities in Government:

Sinn Féin Priorities in Government:

Sinn Féin Priorities in Government:

Sinn Féin Priorities in Government:

Sinn Féin Priorities in Government:

Sinn Féin Priorities in Government:

Sinn Féin Priorities in Government:

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