Summary of ideas submitted in the Policy category…

• Copy Australia’s primary health care initiatives.
• Create a ‘Head of Ethics’ position within all financial institutions.
• Create a ‘Local Development Bond’ that allows people invest money in their own county, for the building of schools, water treatment plants etc in return for a small premium on their investment.
• Create a ‘two-tier’ social welfare system, i.e. the unemployed receive a basic package from the state that is topped up by working for “a day, or two” for the government/local authorities etc.
• Create a credit system for OAPs rather than giving/taking from their medical cards. Each “credit card” will have a number of credits and any left at the end of the year can be carried forward.
• Create a forum / databank of information to assist genuine first time start ups.
• Create a landlord and tenant (rental bonds) act similar to that in operation by the New South Wales Government in Australia and to amend the Residential Tenancies Act 2004.
• Create a long term tax free bond linked to improvements in the economy.
• Create a National Bond where citizens can invest sums as low as €1,000 at a guaranteed return. As an incentive to invest, the return could be tax free to bondholders
• Create a national wills register and charge a fee of €100 per entry.
• Create a points system rewarding work ethic for 20% of salary with sanctions for sick leave etc.
• Create a public and private partnership where the Government supplies low cost labour to make sure that projects do not get cancelled. Use people currently on the dole to work on these projects with a back to work allowance.
• Create a scheme within the public sector whereby money saving initiatives are designed within each sector.
• Create a skills partnering programme between multinationals and indigenous small and medium enterprises.
• Create a tax credit/benefit equivalent to the cost of unemployment assistance, about €200 per week, for employers to take on a recently qualified graduate from the live register as an intern. The intern should be paid between €220 and 280 per week.
• Create a tax incentive for employers to hire those people who have been made redundant from other jobs.
• Create a two tier unemployment system. The first tier will be comprised of people who can’t work or will not volunteer. The second tier will be comprised of people to take part in projects with county councils.
• Create an electronic database of all public records, birth certificates for example, and provide more online support for people looking to access the database.
• Create an Irish version of www.cyber-budget which allows citizens the opportunity to try to create a budget and allows people the opportunity to see consequences of policy decisions.
• Create an official car insurance comparison database on the web.
• Create digital hubs dotted across every town and county in this country with a view to bringing on the knowledge economy.
• Create GPS postal codes.
• Create schemes to incentivise Irish start ups in this recessionary climate.
• Create tax breaks for the average investor instead of just the large ones.
• Create tax harmonisation with Britain and the EU.
• Create tax incentives for new firms setting-up in small towns.
• Create value for money campaigns where the government stops paying over the odds for road construction etc.
• Currently unemployed senior executives with experience in forecasting performance measurement should be drafted in by the department of health and finance to address current shortcomings.
• Cut all inefficiencies from state run businesses and departments.
• Cut back on local government.
• Cut back on the standards of care for prisoners in our prisons.
• Cut civil service costs radically.
• Cut government expenditure and remove ourselves from the euro zone.
• Cut middle management in hospitals, not front line staff.
• Cut social welfare after a nominated amount of time.