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Summary of ideas submitted in the All island economy category…

• A Local Exchange Trading System should be developed to stimulate local activity and keeps locally earned money in the local economy.
• A percentage of various social welfare payments should be in coupons which are only redeemable in the Republic of Ireland. Job Seekers Benefit and Family Income Supplement should be 75% coupons, 25% cash. This should help stem the flow of funds out of the country
• Abolish ex-gratia payments of any kind, e.g. 1.5 year’s salary at retirement, for state employees
• Abolish local different county development organisations (Leader, County Enterprise Boards etc) and create one new organisation which funnels all job creation in each county
• Abolish the office of President of Ireland.
• Abolish the Seanad and re-appoint Senators as ombudsmen responsible for the elimination of waste and inefficiencies in state bodies and local authorities.
• Abolish the Seanad.
• Abolish trade unions.
• Abolish uncertified sick leave for workers.
• Add VAT to phone top up
• Advertise what individuals can do to help including - PAY TAX - Don’t abuse the support systems in place for personal gain
• Advise people to buy bank shares.
• All loans made to SMEs should be at commercial rates and terms.
• All public servants should give up a week’s salary in return for the state recapitalised banks providing them with a month’s moratorium on mortgage repayments.
• Allow entrepreneurs to work from council housing premises and abolish taxes for start ups for the first 18 months
• Allow people to trade at markets without charging tax on profits. Markets could enrich the towns and village life and improve businesses.
• Allow people with new business ideas to utilise empty properties free of charge in a bid to stimulate new business growth and development
• Allow tax relief on repayment of debts for companies and individuals
• Allow the public to purchase state pensions through the NTMA
• Amalgamate all state pension schemes into one, including ESB, and cap all state pensions at a maximum of three times the state pension.
• Anybody who has Irish ancestry should be given the opportunity to become an Irish citizen in return for investing in universities or other institutions.
• Ask artists who have been successful and enjoyed tax-exemption status to give something back to the exchequer now
• Ask people to donate €1000 a year to help roll out necessary infrastructural investments
• Ask people to donate money to the government to help the current economic situation.
• Ask people to work harder and more efficiently in work and give an extra hour a week free gratis to the government.
• Avoid the mantra of increased taxes to balance the books. No economy has ever deflated its way to growth, and the most important thing to bear in mind is that companies closed due to lack of demand do not reopen when times are better.
• Ban the media from publishing news with a negative sentiment on the economy.
• Bar Government ministers from drawing multiple salaries.
• Benchmark with eastern European peers on salary
• Boost spending by reducing indirect taxes.
• Cap all state employees’ earnings at five times the average industrial wage. Prohibit state employees from claiming any tax benefit not available to all citizens of the state.
• Cease free legal aid to criminals in murder/drug trials
• Chambers of Commerce throughout the country should invite well off people to invest in local businesses. They could be paired with businesses in which they would have an interest.
• Change laws relating to tax exiles to tempt them back to Ireland. Identify the tipping point where wealthy individuals are no longer are happy to pay Irish tax rates and introduce a low rate tax on earnings over that level - rates comparable to those on offer in Malta, Monaco etc
• Change tax bands