1) No more income tax for the 95% of people earning less than 100,000 a year. People have been hammered by recent budget changes, and can’t take any more.
2) Steady, measured deficit reduction that leaves room for growth and jobs. Aggressive austerity will delay recovery, cost jobs and embed long-term youth unemployment. We can’t cut or tax our way to recovery. Instead, we have to give growth a chance to do more of the heavy lifting.
3) Secure a better deal for Ireland. We are seeking a mandate to re-negotiate the crippling terms of the EU-IMF deal. The interest rate must be reduced, and the banks forced to face up to more of their losses.
4) Better, fairer, more affordable healthcare. Within existing resources, Labour will deliver free GP care within 4 years, and subsidized hospital cover for all by year 6.
5) Reduce the welfare bill by getting people working, cracking down on fraud and reforming the Rent Allowance Scheme.
6) Get credit flowing to small, viable business so they can get the loans they need to keep paying wages and suppliers. We will introduce a loan insurance scheme to increase the lending capacity of existing banks.
7) Protect Child Benefit. Our Children are our future. Families have been hit with repeated cuts in child benefit. Further cuts will be counter-productive, putting children at risk as families are forced to cut back on essentials.
8 ) Invest in Education. Finland recovered from its 1990s recession by stepping up targeted investment in schools. Ireland can do the same. Labour will prioritise basic numeracy & literacy and ensure class sizes rise no further.
9) Reform and improve our public services. Ireland needs a dynamic, cost-effective public sector. Labour will work with public servants to deliver savings while protecting our schools, police and hospitals from draconian cuts.
10) Fix our broken banks. Irish taxpayers have paid a heavy price for the bankers’ mistakes. The focus should now be on urgently fixing the banks and cutting their costs at least cost to the taxpayer. We will put a stop to profiteering on the backs of variable rate mortgage holders.
11) Help families in financial distress. Mass repossession would hurt families and drive property prices down further. Labour will guarantee that no family loses the roof from over their heads for the duration of the current recession.
12) Get Ireland Working. We will establish a dedicated 500m Jobs Fund to create 30,000 jobs insulating homes, 30,000 internships on a Graduate & Apprentice Placement Scheme and give people tax-back for full-time study. We are committed to giving people the skills they need for the jobs they want.