The following is a selection of the main features of the Fianna Fail manifesto:Economic overviewThe evidence is that this economy has the capacity, with the right policies, to continue to grow significantly, generating more jobs and helping to fund further significant improvements in public services.
Budget 2002 contained a very conservative GDP growth projection for the medium term of around 5 per cent.
While less than the spectacular growth rates of recent years, this remains well ahead of projections for most of the OECD and gives us the capacity to keep on a stable economic growth path.
The international economic outlook has improved in recent months. We can expect to reap the benefit of this. Inflation will fall during the year and employment prospects can be expected to improve. The challenge is to position ourselves so that we can take maximum advantage of these circumstances.
We believe that the clear lesson of the times that Ireland has left behind is that we cannot tax and spend our way to employment and better services. In fact, the surest way to cause unemployment and undermine the public finances would be to implement unsustainable spending plans or to try to return to the days of high taxation.
This manifesto is predicated on continued growth in the economy. Fundamental to its successful implementation and the benefits it will bring to our economy and society is the management of budgetary policy in accordance with the EU Stability and Growth Pact. As such, we will maintain the budget close to balance or in surplus.
Integrity in Public Life
First and foremost, politics is about public service. Elected office is the highest honour any citizen can achieve. We recognise the need to continually work to build public confidence in public affairs. We firmly believe that events of the past must be dealt with fully and openly. With this in mind, Fianna Fáil has already initiated the most thorough and far- reaching inquiries into the conduct of public business in the past. We are determined to act on all the issues arising from the inquiries and tribunals.
We will aim to restore public confidence in political life and increase public participation in our democracy. Fianna Fáil will introduce legislation to regulate the role of lobbyists in public affairs and to provide a registration system. Within two years, Fianna Fáil will initiate a wide-ranging review of both the range of ethics measures passed in this last 28th Dáil, as well as of the Ethics in Public Office Act (1995). We will introduce a Proceeds of Corruption Act modelled on the Proceeds of Crime legislation, to further target white-collar crime.
We will seek to negotiate a new partnership agreement to follow the PPF. Our core objective in negotiating the new agreement will be to ensure that recent progress is protected and built upon.
Semi-state Sector
Fianna Fáil is determined to ensure that commercial semi-state companies will continue to provide essential services of world-class quality at a competitive price to the consumer. We will:
secure a viable long-term future for all State companies in whatever form is most appropriate for the enterprise concerned, without ideological preconceptions;
ensure that all public enterprise is managed in the spirit of social partnership, with a view to achieving optimum service delivery and value for the public.
support the maximum commercial freedom of semi-State companies, subject to the fulfilment of national strategic and balanced regional policy objectives;
encourage public-private partnerships (PPPs) where this can speed up investment, increase competition and keep down prices;
establish the National Development Finance Agency;
establish a new integrated Department of Transport;
we recognise the central importance of the Freedom of Information Act in ensuring transparent and accountable public administration. We will ensure that the Act covers all significant areas of public services.
Securing Peace In Ireland
Over the next five years, the overriding priority of Fianna Fáil in government will be to secure lasting peace in Ireland through the full implementation of the Good Friday agreement; the consolidation of its institutions; and the development of a spirit of friendship and co-operation between North and South. This we will do without prejudice to the ultimate goal of achieving a united Ireland. We will:
pursue the formation of the North-South parliamentary body envisaged in the Good Friday agreement;
support the principle of full public inquiries into the murder of Pat Finucane, Robert Hamill and Rosemary Nelson;
act upon the recommendations of the Barron inquiry into the Dublin, Dundalk and Monaghan bombings;
in so far as it lies within our power, create and maintain a secure environment for political progress and bring about a complete and lasting cessation of all paramilitary activity, including punishment beatings and shootings.
Defence
Fianna Fáil will give a high priority to the work of the new Office of Emergency Planning, in the Department of Defence, so as to identify potential terrorist threats. We will maintain a full complement of 10,500 in the Permanent Defence Force, with the option of an extra 250 recruits at any one time.
Consideration will be given to equipment and arrangements necessary to protect our air-space and ground installations from the air.
Economy
Fianna Fáil will continue to set aside, as required by law, 1 per cent of GNP to provide for future pension obligations. We will not entertain any proposal to divert these funds to current use.
Fianna Fáil regards it as essential to maintain low inflation, in order to ensure our continued competitiveness. Fianna Fáil will support increased competition, particularly where direct benefits will accrue to consumers.
Notwithstanding major progress achieved since 1997, continued investment in essential improvements in public infrastructure and social services is required over the next few years. It is increasingly clear that new methods of financing major capital development programmes are required.
We will establish, under the auspices of the National Treasury Management Agency, a new National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) to finance major public projects and to evaluate all financing aspects of PPP projects. This vehicle will finance both commercial and non-commercial type projects. We envisage that the NDFA will initially focus on three primary areas: roads/public transport, health and schools.
The NDFA will also be able to compete with private-sector financing of PPP projects, thus ensuring maximum value for money. Funds raised through the NDFA will replace direct Exchequer funding to the maximum extent possible.
Tax
Where the fiscal situation allows for further reductions, the emphasis in tax policy will be on: Keeping those on low incomes and the minimum wage out of the tax net; achieving the situation where 80 per cent of taxpayers pay only the standard rate; completing the reduction of the standard rate of corporation tax to 12½ per cent in 2003.
Investment in Research, Development and Innovation
We will ensure the putting in place of open-access broadband on a national basis, to fully include rural communities.We will implement a comprehensive programme to expand the number of school pupils taking science subjects. We will drive forward our schools IT programme.
Developing the regions
Fianna Fáil will
implement the National Spatial Strategy, which is aimed at building up the strength of all regions. This strategy will give all areas of the country opportunities;
while seeking to consolidate and enhance the international competitiveness of Dublin and our other main cities to promote development, we will further encourage a greater proportion of new inward investment to focus on areas outside the Greater Dublin Area;
continue our commitment to the progressive decentralisation of Government offices and agencies;
establish regional boards at Shannon and Cork Airports.
Transport
Fianna Fáilwill implement an integrated transport policy, designed as far as possible to overcome existing congestion and to provide alternative modes of transport.This will involve following through a massive public investment programme. Fianna Fáil also recognise the importance of competitive access transport and of maintaining a national airline.
Fianna Fáil will establish for the first time an integrated Department of Transport with responsibility for the national roads programme, public transport and aviation. Fianna Fáil supports the idea of lower pricing for public transport around the peak travel times.
A strategic rail review will provide a blueprint for the future development of the railways in Ireland, to make maximum use of them following their physical renewal. The DART will be upgraded from 6 to 8-car trains to relieve overcrowding at peak times.
The outer suburban Kildare and Maynooth lines will be upgraded. Improvements to services and rolling stock will continue. Some 80 diesel rail cars will be brought into service in 2002/03 to increase capacity in particular on outer suburban lines, such as to Drogheda and Dundalk.
We will fully implement the National Roads Programme provided for in the National Development Plan.
Low-cost travel is the fastest growing sector in the aviation industry. Fianna Fáil will ensure that all our State airports will cater for the requirements of this sector. Fianna Fáil will ensure that a low-cost facility is built at Pier D in Dublin Airport in time for the 2003 season. Fianna Fáil will establish regional boards at Shannon and Cork Airports which will operate the airports and report to Aer Ríanta. These new regional boards will act as a subset of the main Aer Ríanta Board.
Health
Fianna Fáil will
implement the National Health Strategy;
... ensure that hospitals will have the capacity to treat people within new national guidelines for maximum waiting times;
expand public hospital beds in line with a programme to increase total capacity by 3,000 during the period of the strategy;
permanently end waiting lists in our hospitals within two years through a combination of bed capacity, primary care, secondary care reform initiatives;
reform the system of planning and funding our hospitals to ensure that the needs of people in all parts of the country are addressed, and that public funding is producing the highest possible quality of care;
improve the staffing of our hospitals by expanding the number of nurses working in key professional positions, hiring additional consultants and more health professionals, especially in priority areas, including general practice and emergency facilities;
implement a full range of measures to improve Accident and Emergency Services by significantly reducing waiting times and having senior doctors available at all times;
a set of national quality protocols will also be developed which will require that all patients, irrespective of where they live, receive the quality of care which they require;
end waiting lists for care places for people with disabilities;
implement a major reform and development of primary care services. As a starting point, 24-hour GP cover will be extended throughout the country by implementing a new co-operative and out-of-hours service;
develop a network of primary care centres where general practitioners, community health nurses, physiotherapists and other professionals will work together to improve care;
extend medical card eligibility to over 200,000 extra people, with a clear priority being given to families with children;
develop community facilities for the elderly, including community nursing units, in such a way as to promote independence.
Crime
Fianna Fáil will :
expand the Garda by a further 2,000;
target the expanded numbers particularly at those areas of greatest need, especially areas experiencing a significant drugs problem;
increase the number of civilians attached to the force so that trained police officers are released to tackle crime;
extend the use of CCTV cameras;
create an independent Garda Inspectorate, which will have the power to investigate complaints;
conduct regular detailed analyses of Garda-to-population ratios to ensure every region in the country has appropriate policing;
ensure that in accordance with the Constitution only one army and one police force will operate in this State;
deploy the full weight of the State, including the post-Omagh legislation, against any terrorist organisation;
target the assets of all person involved in drug dealing.
Sport
Fianna Fáil will continue to invest in sports facilities around the country, particularly at local level. We will start work on the construction at Abbotstown of a world-class national stadium. We also remain committed to the development of a range of other top-class facilities at Abbotstown.
We will continue to support the joint Ireland/Scotland effort to host the European Football Championships. We will work with local authorities to provide a range of public facilities such as swimming pools, gymnasiums and synthetic, floodlit playing pitches.