Summary of ideas submitted in the Other category…

• Audio visual and sound training project to provide technical training in audio sound and music field.
• Authorities to establish a website consolidating all the confidential reporting numbers and allowing submissions on the basis of guaranteed confidentiality. It might also be worth considering a “confidential call centre” to which concerned citizens could report suspicions of evasion and fraud, although there are risks of abusing the system.
• Bad press - stop portraying our country negatively - report more positive aspects. Tourism - discounts, offers and tax offers.
• Ban the use of the word recession.
• Banks should be open on Saturday for customers.
• Banks should be open through the day i.e. not close for lunch. Open at 9am and then close up at 4pm.
• Banks should reduce or suspend charges to small and medium businesses until the economy is more stable.
• Basically run a Lotto draw once week midweek with guaranteed jackpot of €1 million. Excess money goes to the Government.
• Become more self-sufficient in energy by utilising our forests now. Cut down 75% of our forests now and have households substitute Irish wood for imported coal/oil.
• Boost home economy by reducing VAT on the purchase of Irish made and designed products.
• Brian Cowen should make a weekly speech over the Internet.
• Bring back the FÁS schemes to the levels they were at in the early 2000s. Use the Army to administer and run the schemes in conjunction with local offices.
• Bring back the old laws as these new laws are killing the industry and only the supermarkets are benefiting. Open bars and pubs later to create more jobs and entertainment for tourists.
• Bring back the SSIA scheme to raise public money.
• Bring back the Traffic School.
• Bring in legislation that would prevent Irish insurance companies from insuring foreign registered vehicles in this jurisdiction for periods of say 30 days following importation. This may have the effect that such vehicles would be registered as they should be, on time and then subsequently taxed here, thus bringing in much needed revenue.
• Bring maternity services into the community through midwifery-led antenatal external clinics or early-transfer home with daily visits from a midwife.
• Build a nuclear power station or give the French the money to build one in France for us and build an interconnector to France.
• Build a Science Museum in Dublin.
• Buildings rented by the HSE are empty as the way the budget works, they are afraid they won’t get the budget the following year. This is a waste of money as there is no shortage of properties to rent. They should introduce bottom-up budgeting.
• Businesses earning less than €50,000 should be exempt from all taxes and VAT.
• By determining pension based on number of years served (and final salary) of each grade throughout working career, pensions would then be proportionate to performance levels across career, not just in final years.
• Campaign to run over 12-24 months across all media to clarify our identity and to build an understanding, pride and belief in what it is to be Irish. This campaign would be centred on the concept of “Proud to be Irish”.
• Can the Department of Justice liaise with the Department of Social Welfare and the Revenue Commissioners? Instead of imprisoning people for non-payment of fines, or TV licences could we organise to have it deducted from people’s social welfare or as part of their PAYE over a number of months if they don’t pay it of their own accord?
• Can there ever be a way of judging from rent paid over a space of time if someone is capable of meeting monthly mortgage repayments? Like the rent-to-purchase plans, I think acceptance criteria for mortgages should be altered.
• Cancer centres can be designed built and operated in a non profit environment, requiring no public capital, taking valuable staff off the public sector payroll, and aligning the centres with international best practice.
• Carry out an overview of how all the systems and organisations interact in the community.
• Cash collateral for mortgages - the bank lends 100% of the value of the house and takes the borrower’s cash deposit in as a guarantee, and remunerates it at the same all-in interest rate, so that the borrower only pays a net interest on the net 60% of the capital, just as he would if he borrowed only the net 60%. The advantage for the bank is: even if house prices collapse by 30% or 40%, the bank still gets 40% immediately from the cash collateral and realistically 60% some time later.
• Change criteria for qualification for the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance Scheme to six months on the live register from the existing two years. This would allow individuals who have been made redundant and have some money and are still motivated to set up their own small businesses.
• Change government departments’ spending budgets.
• Change the “child benefit” handout into a “child tax credit” so that resident taxpayers paying into the system and contributing to economic productivity receive a tax benefit.
• Change the onus on the self employed on how they settle their VAT/tax liabilities i.e. trades people, landlords, and builders. Introduce a system whereby a tradesperson is obliged to produce an invoice (supplied by Revenue) to the homeowner. Homeowner details recorded gets a ‘tax compliant credit’ for their personal liabilities (that’s the incentive needed for the homeowner to comply with this system). Tradesperson forwards payment to Revenue where VAT/tax is deducted first before the balance is transferred to trader’s account.
• Change the taxable allowances from shelters for the wealthy into a pension type product available for every working person. This would stimulate the sector now, when sites are cheap and construction costs are low. We could attract the public now to buy a share in a home that would secure a place for the growing aging population.
• Charge duty on wine and spirits related to their value rather than the flat rate amounts currently charged.
• Charities could be backed by a local charity voucher scheme. People could buy booklets at maybe €50 for 10 vouchers. Recipients could redeem the vouchers for food or shelter.