Summary of ideas submitted in the Policy category…

• Home care packages could be streamlined to make better use of resources and also unemployed people could be used in the system.
• Horse breeders who are currently exempt from paying income tax should be taxed.
• Hospitals should be privatised.
• Hotels should charge on a per room basis rather than per person per night.
• HSE pay slips should be sent via email.
• I believe millions of euro could be saved every year by allowing NGOs/VECs/etc ‘carry over’ unspent funds at the end of the financial year.
• Identify expenditure on capital equipment in Qtr 4, 2008 (Oct-Dec), and for each item, state the asset it is replacing and the age of the asset it is replacing. If the asset it is replacing is less than the normal useful life, it is waste.
• If a PAYE worker is thinking of starting their own business, they should be allowed to claim the dole in the event of the venture failing for the same period of time that they paid PRSI as a PAYE worker.
• If any land with a single dwelling on it then land on either side of it can be purchased at agricultural prices when widening roads.
• If people pay over a certain high level of tax they should be able to choose where that money is spent by the state.
• Implement a system where any non-confidential “paperwork” that originates in digital form should be published digitally i.e. not printed out.
• Implement best practice in education, green business and transport by examining how things are done in other countries.
• Impose a €10k fine on those found in possession of illegal drugs.
• Impose a flat rate sales tax on all consumer goods.
• Impose a levy for non-compliance with the planning regulations.
• Impose a pension levy of 4% across the board rather than 8% on the public sector.
• Impose a time period restriction on houses and buildings left lying idle by local authorities as these properties are wasting money and should be made of use.
• Impose an income levy of 3% on all incomes over €250,000.
• Impose extremely severe penalties on anyone taking any kind of industrial action for 3 years.
• Improve the efficiency of the Garda recruitment vetting process.
• In order to get the right people into third level institutions to maximise chances of successful commercialisation and spin-outs, there should be a certain number of third level academic positions reserved/accessible to suitably qualified candidates coming back from industry.
• Incentivise potential employers to re-employ redundant civil servants by allowing 100% exemption on employers PRSI Contribution for new employees on Year 1.
• Include the employer pension contribution in the cap on tax relievable contributions (the salary cap is currently €150,000 but employer contributions are currently exempted). In addition, companies should no longer be able to treat pension contributions for staff as a deductible expense.
• Income tax should be dropped to 5% for all workers under €50,000 and 10% for people earning between €50,000 and €100,000, and 30% for all workers earning over €100,000. Reduce corporation tax to zero and cut VAT to 10%.
• Increase children’s allowances and family supports.
• Increase demand and consumption through a new pay deal, extended welfare benefits, and new anti-inflation measures.
• Increase DIRT tax on all bank accounts of Irish residents to 50% of interest earned.
• Increase gambling tax.
• Increase income levy to 5% on condition that the Government guarantees to pay it back upon the person’s retirement - effectively creating an alternative type of pension fund.
• Increase tax breaks for oil and gas exploration off our coast and then tax the production phase and develop it on Irish soil.
• Increase tax on electricity to raise revenue and encourage energy efficiency.
• Increase taxes in the horse industry.
• Increase the discount that a local authority tenant is entitled to 4%.
• Increase the fines paid for tax evasion.
• Increase the size of the tax levy as a proportion of income tax to ensure fair sharing of the tax burden and minimise avoidance.