Summary of ideas submitted in the Policy category…

• Increase the tax break for married couples where only one person is working & allow the other to claim unemployment benefits.
• Increase the tax for renewing gun licenses.
• Individuals who invest money in small businesses should have it offset against their own tax liability for the coming years.
• Infrastructure spend to be used on local Government projects (small towns and villages). Local employees are used, thus maintaining local employment.
• Inject more labour hours into the economy with temporary emergency measures such as reducing the number of hours in the basic working week.
• Install water tanks on schools and hospitals roofs to catch rain water which can be filtered and used for flushing toilets etc, thus reducing water charges.
• Instead of paying rent allowance to landlords let the Government build/buy apartments and let the tenant give them rent less the rent allowance.
• Instigate a complete review of the tax system.
• Instigate creative thinking within the Government and publish a media statement of positive thinking to shock the nation in to a positive response.
• Integrate systems between Government departments where cross-checks can be carried out on individuals claiming social welfare.
• Introduce 10% pay cuts for everyone in the economy.
• Introduce a tax levy on chewing gum.
• Introduce a €75 per annum property tax on all homes.
• Introduce a 1% pay cut for every €10,000 earned.
• Introduce a 10% benefits in kind (BIK) tax increase on company cars.
• Introduce a 100% corporation tax exemption on Irish companies who, in return, invest the exempted amount, or more, in this country within the same tax year.
• Introduce a 4 days working week.
• Introduce a 90% tax band should, retrospectively to the date of the Government bank guarantee, for all bank bonuses and pension packages above a certain level.
• Introduce a courtesy charter for business i.e. a declaration of values and principles endorsed by businesses.
• Introduce a defined compulsory type pension.
• Introduce a ‘fat tax’ on foods that are bad for you.
• Introduce a ‘legacy tax’, buy us out of these hard times and in future save this money for future recessions.
• Introduce a levy on all payments received by the vendors of toll bridges.
• Introduce a levy on concert and sports tickets.
• Introduce a lower rates tax for city/town centre businesses to encourage new ventures.
• Introduce a mortgage relief fund to stimulate spending and bring in legislation to effect a 20% reduction in the costs of absolutely everything.
• Introduce a national health savings account to replace the existing PRSI and private medical insurance systems.
• Introduce a nationwide salary cap.
• Introduce a new national saving schemes similar to the SSIA, reduce the employees’ working week by 10%, and wages likewise.
• Introduce a new SSIA scheme with the benefits being a future tax credit rather than a contribution from Government.
• Introduce a new tax on deposit interest.
• Introduce a new tax rate of 65% on incomes over €250,000.
• Introduce a property based carbon tax.
• Introduce a secure job tax on public servants.
• Introduce a system where people can partake in voluntary work in hospitals as seen in the US with the ‘candy stripe’ system.