The general election provides an ideal opportunity for every group that thinks it knows best to put their views forward, writes Una McCaffrey

We are all fond of our own opinions and, given the chance, rarely hesitate to share them with whichever passing punter happens to stray into our conversational path. The weeks before a general election see this phenomenon come into its own more than any other period - the endless discussions that occur in every forum imaginable mean that even normally reticent individuals have the chance to air their political views, and air them at length.

It seems like everybody is suddenly running for election, such is the vehemence of the statements of what "I would do if I was in Government".

Taking this to heart, and seeking to separate the wheat from the chaff, The Irish Times has this week asked a selection of players who have some degree of influence in the world of consumer affairs to draw up their own "programme for personal finance Government" for the next five years. If the Taoiseach happened to arrive at their door with a blank sheet of paper and a pen, asking for advice, what would that advice be? And, more importantly, how would it benefit the rest of us? The panellists, on this occasion, were six in number.

1. Starting with the roofs over all of our heads, the Irish Auctioneers' and Valuers' Institute, the body representing property professionals, would like to see the new Government implement an immediate shake-up of four main aspects of the Irish property market.

The IAVI says it is taking the interests of rural dwellers to heart, calling for rural planning rules to more closely reflect the wishes of those living in the countryside. The institute acknowledges that the historic norm of planning permission readily being granted for one-off houses is not ideal but, likewise, is unimpressed by what it believes to be some ridiculous rules currently in application, such as requiring a house's first occupant to be indigenous to the local area.

The IAVI would also advise the future Government to hold landlords in the esteem he believes they deserve - a development which its chief executive, Mr Alan Cooke says is essential if a viable and expended private rental sector is to grow.

"It is high time the Celtic tiger overcame its colonial hangover, which continues to drive much of the establishment-nourished anti-landlord sentiment, and recognise that the provision of good quality homes for renting is a laudable, essential and socially desirable undertaking."

The IAVI's third "wish" relates to housing grants and stamp duty. Reflecting on the current Government's abolition of stamp duty for first-time buys (up to €190,000), Mr Cooke says that the move was little more than inflationary and insists that "a better understanding of market forces is required from the new Government". This would, he says, eliminate any increase to first-time buyer grants, a move which he believes would "prove inflationary in the current market". An alternative to this would be, he argues, to increase mortgage interest relief and spread it over the first few years of a mortgage. This benefit would, he says, not be front-loaded and would thus contribute to stable house prices.

Finally, the IAVI pours scorn on the manner in which the current Government has treated social housing.

In terms of government expenditure, it has constantly been treated as the runt of the litter.

"The area needs massive investment," says Mr Cooke. "We are not making progress; we are regressing."

2. Next up is the Institute of Taxation, the professional and educational body for taxation practitioners. Institute president, Mr John Bradley, believes that the next Minister for Finance should consider four main priorities on the personal taxation front.

A first positive step would be to simplify tax forms, Mr Bradley believes.

"The tax returns that self- employed people are obliged to complete are very complicated," he says. "Even though a self-employed tax return looks for almost one hundred items of information, typical taxpayers have only to provide less than 10 items. The other matters just don't apply."

Along the same lines, the Institute of Taxation would recommend a new regime of interest and penalties for late or inadequate tax payments.

Mr Bradley argues that the current legislation is overly "rigid", taking little account of the size of the error.

"For instance," he says, "a self-employed taxpayer who pays €10,000 one month late is subjected to exactly the same rules as a corporation which pays €1,000,000 one year late. It sometimes seems that the focus is on compliant taxpayers making relatively minor mistakes, rather than on tax evaders."

Again on the simplicity front, Mr Bradley would bring the rules governing PRSI into line with general tax rules.

He argues that since almost everybody who pays tax in the Republic also pays PRSI, and that both are collected by the Revenue Commissioners, it simply no longer makes sense to apply rules so widely at variance with each other.

The Institute of Taxation would also, if given the chance, make tax allowances more inclusive. Mr Bradley says that Irish tax law contains a wide set of incentives designed to stimulate demand in disadvantaged areas but believes that "these allowances are not widely availed of by taxpayers, because of the complex rules which apply for people wishing to qualify for the allowances and how the allowances are granted.

"If a tax incentive exists, taxpayers generally should be in a position to benefit," he says.

Perhaps controversially, Mr Bradley's final wish would bring improved facilities and resources for that much-loved body, the Revenue Commissioners.

He points out that even though the tax take has multiplied overall in recent years, overall staffing levels in Revenue offices, for example, have not risen proportionally.

"This leads to delays and difficulties on all sides in processing returns, issuing repayments and obtaining assistance from Revenue on difficult issues. Such a situation is in no-one's interests," he says.

3. The wish-list of the Irish Association of Pension Funds (IAPF), the body representing the pensions industry, also has four key recommendations for the new government.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, a simplification of the pensions system is, of these, the priority.

Chairman, Mr John Feely, says that the imminent arrival of the PRSA (Personal Retirement Savings Account) to be welcomed but argues that unless the "layer of confusion" which has gone before it is removed, it will be counter-productive.

"It's like seeing a lovely, new house being built on old foundations," he says.

Mr Feely would also implement an overhaul of the limits and restrictions that govern pension schemes.

Such rules were "developed on the back of the UK system," he says, arguing that such a state of affairs is outdated.

As for product innovation, Mr Feely would recommend that the forthcoming Government created some mechanism for the transferral of matured SSIAs into pensions.

He believes that the Republic's low rate of pensions coverage needs to be addressed and sees the savings culture introduced by the SSIA as the ideal way to do that. An elimination of SSIA exit tax for holders who choose the pension option could help such a process, Mr Feely believes. He would also like to see the Government spearhead a pensions publicity campaign along the lines of "put away some money now so that you won't be flat broke when you're 65".

In a similar vein, he would insist that a current commitment to the National Pensions Reserve Fund be maintained.

The fund should not be a political football, says Mr Feely, since it represents the only way for the Republic to address looming difficulties in pensions funding.

4. The Irish Brokers' Association (IBA), another body with a vested interest in the pensions business, also has a bone to pick on the subject of retirement provision. Manager, Mr Stuart Reid, would like to see the IBA gaining representation on the Pensions Board, the pensions regulator.

Such a move would make sense, he argues, in the context of IBA members being the main distributors of pensions, as well as providing the interface between the public and their chosen pension provider.

Thus far, IBA participation on the board has never been invited. Not deterred by this small fact, Mr Reid would also like to see IBA involvement in the forthcoming Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority, and the Personal Injuries Assessment Board.

From the consumer's viewpoint Mr Reid would wish for greater consumer protection in the event of insurance companies becoming insolvent.

He would hark back to a pre-1996 system of imposing a Government levy on all insurance policies and then use these monies to create a "slush fund" for customers affected by events such as last year's collapse of the Independent Insurance Group.

He would also implement rules'making employers' liability insurance mandatory, but with an "impaired risk" mechanism, whereby different levels of "danger" would be accommodated with different types of insurance cover.

Finally, Mr Reid, is calling for the reintroduction of terrorism cover in the Irish market.

5. Also on the insurance front, the Irish Insurance Federation, the representative body for Irish insurance companies, has a few of its own bones to pick.

Chief executive, Mr Mike Kemp, says that IIF members intend to "expedite" the implementation of recommendations contained within last month's Motor Insurance Advisory Board report and would urge the next Government to do the same.

In particular, he is calling for priority to be given to road safety and would like sanctions to be increased on the matter of uninsured driving.

Like the IBA, he is keen to see the Personal Injuries Assessment Board established immediately and would like legal proceedings in the insurance area to be treated to a general overhaul.

Mr Kemp is disappointed that road safety has not emerged as a key issue during the current election campaign.

Given the choice, he would earmark the 2 per cent stamp duty that already applies to motor insurance premiums and dedicate it to investment in road safety.

He points out that this stamp duty was worth over €25 million in 2000.

The federation would also legislate for the specific offence of insurance fraud, estimating that such deception amounted to €53 million in the Republic during 2000 alone.

6. Last, but by no means least, is the wish-list of the Consumers' Association of Ireland (CAI), the body representing consumers. Chief executive, Mr Dermott Jewell has one main wish: to see the consumer's voice gaining a greater hearing at Government level. Like so many other bodies, the CAI would like to be represented in some way in the forthcoming IFSRA, perhaps along the same lines as its input to the Food Safety Authority.

On the issue of food, the CAI would, if allowed, separate food and agriculture into two separate ministries. It would also establish a full-time portfolio for consumer affairs, although Mr Jewell acknowledges that such a development is, as things stand, little more than wishful thinking.