Fianna Fáil pledged today to restore confidence in politics with a radical overhaul of Government and the Oireachtas.
Fianna Fáil in government after the next election would introduce a system whereby government ministers would cease to be TDs for their term in Cabinet, and their places in the Dáil would be taken by substitutes.
This is one of the proposals for electoral and parliamentary reform which feature in the party’s manifesto, “Real Plan, Better Future”, unveiled by Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin in Dublin today.
The document also proposes to reform the electoral system by bringing in a mixture of single-seat constituencies and a top-up national list.
On proposals from other parties to abolish Seanad Éireann, Mr Martin said: “We will support its abolition if - and only if - the more important political reforms we propose are implemented.”
“We propose a role for a Citizens’ Assembly in the development of these reform proposals before any referendums. We propose lower limits on political donations and to ban corporate donations to political parties in line with the Bill which should have been passed this month.
“We also propose targeted constitutional reform, public sector reform and a significant series of changes to the operation of State boards,” he told a news conference at the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery on Dublin’s Parnell Square.
On the economy, Mr Martin said: “While our plan contains no new spending commitments, we do make specific pledges, and I want to review a few of those promises and strategies before opening this session up for questions.
“Firstly, I want to say clearly and unambiguously the national recovery plan provides the foundation for our Real Plan for a Better Future. The recovery plan provides a blueprint for Ireland to return to sustainable growth.”
He said Fianna Fáil’s approach to spending was balanced and guided by the need to protect long-term economic interests. “That is why we have prioritised education and ensured the reductions that have been achieved in this area do not impact on front lines services. The numbers employed in education over the period of our plan will actually increase by nearly 2,500.
"We also adhere to a fundamental principle - to continue to protect the most vulnerable in our society and especially the elderly.
“We have demonstrated this commitment by significantly increasing the State pension over the past ten years, and it is our view that the security this has brought to older people should be preserved. And I am proud it is preserved under our plan," Mr Martin said.
“On taxation, we believe that any attempt to tax our way to a balanced budget would cause immense economic damage. Both Labour and Sinn Féin are proposing in their plans to do just that.
“Our plan recognises that economic recovery will be driven by high-value added businesses and high-end manufacturing and services, and that punitive taxes will drive out investment and stifle employment,” Mr Martin said.
He continued: “We are providing funds for enterprise capital expenditure to increase from 11 per cent to nearly 16 per cent of total capital expenditure over the period of the plan.
“We will also continue action to help homeowners who are in arrears. Lenders are prohibited from moving homeowners in arrears off existing tracker mortgages; qualifying loans taken out in 2012 will receive relief at a rate of 15 per cent for first time buyers and 10 per cent for non first-time buyers with ceilings for single people and married couples.
“The Deferred Interest Scheme will be supported and amended if necessary. Our mortgage relief plans do not amount to robbing Peter to pay Paul, as the Fine Gael plan would do.
“The EU/IMF funding programme has provided the all purpose excuse for other parties, who claim that there is an easy way to avoid hard decisions. The truth, of course, is very different. There are no magic wands and no credible, soft-option solutions.”
The Fianna Fáil leader said his party's plan set out how each enterprise agency would deliver new jobs: “These amount to the direct support for the creation of 150,000 new jobs,” adding Fianna Fáil would make Ireland a Global Innovation Hub, attracting new products, designs and services.
“Our plan spells out how we will aid the services sector, which already accounts for 107,000 jobs in agency assisted companies. It details new strategies to create new jobs in the agri-food sector; outlines specific actions to assist the tourism industry. Our plan aims to increase the number of overseas visitors to eight million by 2015.
“We have ambitious plans to support arts and culture, the green economy, including the establishment of a green IFSC, and developing the digital economy," Mr Martin said.
“At the centre of our jobs plan is a commitment to maintain our corporate tax rate. Every country in Europe is aware that there can be no compromise on this issue for Ireland – and we have strong allies on this point. Foreign direct investment supports a quarter of a million jobs in this country, and we intend to resolutely defend this cornerstone of our economic strategy.
“Despite the endless complaints from the opposition, it is a fact that the infrastructure deficit which previously characterised the Irish economy has been significantly addressed in recent years. Our commitments include Metro North, and a new national retrofit programme, which, together with tax credits for energy efficiency upgrades, will create 10,000 new jobs," he said.
“And our plan details our commitment to education and training, including delivering 100,000 training and employment places for the unemployed in 2011, and supporting 170,000 learners through adult and further education.”
Responding to questions on the proposals for political reform, Mr Martin said he wanted to “get away from the Punch and Judy Show” in the Dáil whereby political leaders sought to come up with the fastest soundbite or headline on the next news bulletin.
Although Fianna Fáil would support abolition of the Seanad, he said the Upper House was not the cause of the political problems.
On the issue of replacing ministers with substitutes in the Dáil, he said this would allow the Minister for Enterprise, for example, to spend more time abroad getting business and investment for Ireland.
Asked if the fact that Fianna Fáil was only running 75 candidates indicated the party had given up hope of an overall majority in the 166-member Dáil, he said the party had not had an overall majority for a long time, but it had been in office for the last 14 years.
Asked if he would support former taoiseach Bertie Ahern as a candidate for the presidency later this year, he said: “I am not going into who is and who is not a credible candidate for the presidency.”