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Immigration
What is your party policy on immigration?
The party seeks to promote a sane and humane immigration policy. Sane in the sense that it will be related to Ireland's employment needs and humane in that it will seek to provide compassionate support for those who are genuinely fleeing conflict.
In regard to asylum seekers, we believe that it is time to review our participation in the 1967 protocol on asylum which requires us to take in any person who claims asylum even if they arrive here without documentation.
There are no conflict zones bordering Ireland and it must be assumed that if somebody arrives into this country without documentation, they have come from a third country. This means prima facie that they should not be accommodated in Ireland, but it is necessary for us to ensure that adequate holding centres are built and that hearings are held, and deportation orders are issued quickly. To those that seek asylum who are genuine refugees, we should provide temporary accommodation in accordance with our ability and capacity. We should set a specific limit on this on an annual basis.
Ireland has an opt-out from European immigration policy under the Lisbon treaty, and we should reconsider our participation in the International emergency protection regime, for example in regard to Ukraine, certainly without setting specific limits on the numbers which we take in.
It is clear that under both of these regimes many people are gaming the system, and this must be stopped. The excessive number of refugees and immigrants in Ireland, now the highest of any European country, has affected our welfare system, the planned provision of infrastructure, the provision of school places, the capacity of our health system and of course our ability to provide housing for our people. In addition, the present levels of immigration are such that they threaten the survival of Ireland as an independent state which provides a homeland for Irish people. We regard this is by far the most critical issue facing this country and it is essential to make a comprehensive effort to address it.
Housing
What can you do to solve the housing crisis?
The emphasis must be to ensure that Irish people are able to afford to purchase their own homes, rather than simply ensuring a greater supply of social housing even though these are also needed. There can be no doubt that mass migration into this country has exacerbated the problem of housing supply. It is also the fact that we will not be able to provide for an increased number of houses without having the necessary labour and skills. We have exported some of our best and brightest people, some 70,000 per year over the last number of years, while we have imported huge numbers of often very questionable people during the same period. We urgently need to reverse this situation. We must encourage emigrants from this country to return and we propose giving Irish people with appropriate skills a two-year tax break to encourage them to come back. This will also address the serious imbalance which exists in our population, and which will inevitably lead to social unrest unless it is addressed.
To encourage new homeowners, we propose a full VAT refund for all first-time buyers as well as double mortgage interest relief for first-time buyers. We believe the planning and building regulation system has become excessively complicated and is now actively working to discourage efficiencies and to discourage builders.
We believe that we must be much more proactive in approving new building systems and building methods which can deliver real cost savings in building procurement.
The impact of vulture funds has dramatically undermined the ability of the individual house buyers to house themselves. There is no reason why the corporate tax rate of 15% should be available the companies who engage in residential rental. We propose that the favourable treatment to vulture funds over small landlords be immediately ended and either that the tax rate for a small landlord be dramatically reduced or that that for the vulture funds be increased. We must drive the vulture funds out of the housing market to make way for our own people.
Free Speech
What will you do to protect Free speech?
The proposed Irish Hate speech law, which is the most Draconian of any of the Western democracies, emanated from the European Union directive of 2003 aimed at fighting xenophobia. Ireland has tended to implement European Union directives in a far more restrictive and authoritarian way than other countries.
We will seek to prohibit the Irish government from attacking free speech rights using European directive as its excuse. Ireland should not be regarded as a member in good standing of the Western democracies if the legislation regarding hate speech is passed. Remember, Fine Gael has brazenly said it will implement this legislation after the election, despite widespread lack of support. We will not support any government or party that attacks free speech. Without free speech democracy dies.
Agriculture
What will you do to help agriculture?
We will fight for a repeal of the Mercosur Deal. We will Fight for the abolition of the recent rewilding and wetlands directive. We will seek an end to the policy of zero carbon and seek to pull out of the Paris climate accords. We will promote the abolition of carbon taxes. We will also promote the development of alternative and secure sources of energy, but any transition which is over-rapid will cause economic distress, threatens our food supplies and threatens the very survival of our agricultural sector. We will fight against the grossly unfair practices in the meat industry.
Schools
What will you do to protect our children from sexual activism in our schools?
Much of the transexual and homosexual activism that we see in our schools has emanated from EU directives, and Ireland’s excessively authoritarian implementation of those directives. The propaganda which is now being implemented in our schools has the capacity to damage the identity of children, not just at a sexual level, but also in terms of their self-confidence, with native Irish people being targeted for imposition of guilt and self-hate, and boys being encouraged to apologise for, and feel ashamed of their sex. Trans activism is targeting boys for castration and girls for mastectomies, utterly needless and non-reversible surgeries which have the potential to destroy their lives. We will seek the immediate repeal of EU directives aimed at placating the vocal sexual activist lobby and to remove this competence from the EU.
Rural Ireland
What can you do to make the planning system better for rural Ireland?
To a large extent the present planning system has an anti-rural bias with a strong emphasis on promoting higher densities in larger towns. This has meant that it is impossible for rural families to enable their children to live close to them. At times of universally available broadband and remote working there is no legitimate planning reason why a limited number of houses to provide for native rural dwellers should not be facilitated. Waste disposal technology has developed to the point where rural housing does not present a threat to water quality or to the environment. Overemphasis on environmental protection in our planning legislation stems again from the Habitats Directive of the European Union and its over rigorous implementation by the Irish authorities. We will advocate for a review of internal planning policy as it relates to Special Areas of Conservation ( SACs) to enable suitable wastewater treatment systems to be installed. We will not allow spurious reasons for planning refusal to continue.
Small Businesses
What can you do for small businesses?
The rates burden on small businesses must be relieved. Rates are the only form of local taxation, and this is not equitable to the small businessperson. The rates burden on individual business must be capped to a specific percentage of turnover so that it should reduce in a poor business year.
Most businesses are drowning in a sea of regulation, relating to employment law, excessive reporting requirements in regard to income and expenses and in regard to VAT reporting and late payment fines. We must recognise the importance of small business to a functioning economy and ensure that businesses are facilitated and not attacked by government.
This is the only way that a rural economy can secure adequate employment without excessive reliance on outside foreign investment.
We will promote a reduction in the VAT rate on hospitality to 9%, and on the general business rate from 23 to 21% initially followed the 17.5% over three years.
Taxation
What will you do regarding taxation?
We believe that people should have greater freedom to retain more of the money which they earn. we will seek the introduction of the third and possibly fourth tax band to ensure that lower-paid workers do not enter the high tax rate as quickly as at present. This will also enable people to keep more of their money if they work overtime.
Tax bands should be index-linked so that they automatically increase every year rather than being used by government to pretend that they are making a gift to the people every budget when they’re simply allowing people to keep more of their own hard-earned money.
The threshold for inheritance tax should be dramatically increased to €800,000. (It was €550,000 as long ago as 2008). Capital gains tax should gradually be reduced to 25% and meaningful indexation should be provided. Small landlords with one house to rent should have a 15% tax rate on the rental income from their first house. This should significantly improve the availability of rental properties.
Europe
What is your position on Europe?
There is a significant rise in nationalist and commonsense parties throughout Europe and in the United States. We Will combine with other parties and independents to ensure the implementation of more sensible European policies.
We are a Eurosceptic party, but we recognise the difficult position in which Ireland would be placed by a unilateral withdrawal from the union. We will support the long-term abolition of European Union by consent of all the countries involved and the Reformation of the existing European countries into a free-trade area with no other political, social, environmental or taxation competencies. The structures of the European Union have become too centralised and have been deliberately designed to be difficult to reform. We believe that the only way forward is to abolish the present union and for those countries which wish to remain in an economic association to do so
Neutrality
Where do you stand on Ireland’s neutrality?
Ireland can never hope to be a significant international force in the manner of the great continental powers. Along with tiny Malta, Cyprus and Austria we are one of the few remaining non-aligned countries in the European union. It is essential that the European Union continue to have a significant non-aligned presence, or it will simply become excessively under the influence of the major military powers and of NATO.
The proper role for countries such as Ireland in the present conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and should be to refuse to take a specific side and to make ourselves available as an honest broker for negotiation between the warring parties. This is a far more appropriate role for Ireland to take than to become a very minor and ineffectual part of NATO. As a small country the recent lessons of our history of participation in major international bodies has shown that our voice has been lost.
There could have been a clear role to play for Ireland in acting as a broker between Russia and Ukraine in the early stages of that conflict when it appeared that both sides wished to compromise, and we could have contributed to saving the needless loss of life that war has caused. Instead, by parroting the NATO line and supporting pointless EU sanctions we have contributed only to destabilising the situation and undermining our own economy through increased inflation caused by loss of energy sources.
We will oppose the expansion of PESCO (permanent structured co-operation) within the EU other than for exchange of information, and we will resist any moves for Ireland to join NATO.
Dáil Éireann
What can the Irish freedom party do if elected to Dáil Éireann?
There is a significant rise in nationalist and commonsense parties throughout Europe and in the United States. We will combine with other parties and independents to ensure the implementation of more sensible policies. There is great concern among many members of the Dáil at matters such as the premature sexualisation of children in our schools, the radicalism of the Green Agenda, the attacks against free-speech and democracy and the neglect of rural Ireland. However, because of our party system it can often be very difficult to effect change in these matters and the political system seems to be run by a small group of elite politicians. The election of smaller parties can alter this situation and enable the Dáil to be more responsive to the people’s needs.
Abortion
What is your position on abortion?
The Irish Freedom party is a Pro Life party and is opposed to abortion. We will lobby to ensure that pain relief is given to the foetus during the process. Given that abortion has now effectively been enshrined in the constitution and that this is unlikely to change in the near future, we hope that by a process of education to show what is really involved, and by showing compassion and giving support to young women have become pregnant without other supports, that this terrible scourge can be removed from society.
Healthcare
Where do you stand on Healthcare?
We recognise the GP system as probably the most important element of healthcare which can keep more people out of hospital for longer. GPs need our support in terms of logistics, recognised career structures and guaranteed income. We do not however believe that GPs should become direct employees of the state as this will simply increase bureaucracy a administration.
The minor injuries clinic in Ennis is functioning very well but with very limited hours. We wish to promote a full 24-hour A&E service in Ennis Hospital and the first step would be to expand the hours of the existing facility that is there. As the population of Clare expands a full A&E facility can be justified.