Promises Promises - Fianna Fail on Tax, Fine Gael on Health Beds, Labour on Community Policing and Sinn Fein on Transport

This morning we got two further announcments from the two major parties and Sinn Fein launched their transport policy;

Brian Cowen was busy detailing (as is the theme of their campaign I must add ‘again’) their tax proposals if re-elected. He suggests that the PRSI and standard rate tax cuts will benefit 97% of the country. They still haven’t uploaded their document. Cowen though is busy stressing the importance of consistency and delivery on the economy.

Elsewhere Fine Gael were promising to end the A&E crisis through the addition of 2,300 acute public beds, 1,500 step down beds and 15 urgent care centres. They also tag on a dig at the present government for their ‘broken promises’

- Spiralling waiting lists continue - despite a FF promise in 2002 and a Government Health Strategy presented in 2001 that they paraded to us all as the panacea to the ills of the system;
- 29,000 people still waiting for care;
- 250 people on trolleys on average each day last year;
- Inadequate numbers of beds has forced the cancellation of 40,000 operations.

Labour were following up the release of ‘this is Brendan‘ with their document on community policing. There are proposals for community Gardai as well as proposals for Garda reform. Labour are promising 1,500 extra Community Gardai as well as strengthened targetting of criminal gangs via CAB etc, it is all about visibility and freeing up resources through civilianisation.

McDowell will highight that he has put the Ombudsman commission in place to oversee Gardai but I think Howlin has a point (and he has been consistent on this) when he suggests more comprehensive reform is needed to bring the Gardai up to date. These are to be acheived via a new Garda Authority which will;

- revise rostering to get Gardai on the streets when they are needed
- drive a comprehensive civilianisation programme
- open-up senior Garda recruitment to external candidates
- improve Garda diversity to reflect changes in Ireland’s population
- use performance data to drive innovation in tackling crime
- streamline top-heavy Garda management

Sinn Fein launched their transport document this morning as well, the watchword is ‘reverse’ ;

Ten proposals to get Dublin moving;

• Legislate for mandatory public transport provision, including park-and-ride facilities, to be factored into all major housing developments at the earliest planning stages.
• Delivery of 500 additional buses for Dublin Bus
• Major improvements in Bus stops with electronic information including bus times and routes
• Improvements in quality and quantity of cycle lanes plus free communal bicycles in the city centre

• Prioritise rapid construction of rail/metro links to Dublin Airport and development of the Heuston-Connolly rail link.
• Immediate lifting of the toll barriers, fast-tracking of the road-works and extra investment in public transport to ease congestion on the M50 and allow people to get to and from work.
  
• Proposals for the construction of a Luas line from O’Connell Street through Blanchardstown, terminating at the site of the proposed 1,200 car Park & Ride facility at the new Dunboyne/Pace railway station.

Ten proposals to improve transport provision across the state;

• Reverse the policy of phasing out rail freight and institute a full review and restoration of this energy-efficient form of transport.
• Plan for an extensive expansion of an all-Ireland rail network including an extended Western Rail Corridor serving Donegal and Derry, the Derry-Dublin rail link, and the West Cork railway network.
• Develop a rail link to Shannon Airport, a Dublin-Navan rail link and upgrade the Derry-Belfast rail link.
• Increase funding and provision of buses in rural areas including an extension to the hours of existing rural transport schemes, while making services available during both day and night.
• Legislate for mandatory public transport provision, including park-and-ride facilities, to be factored into all major housing developments at the earliest planning stages.

• Legislate to ensure that all public transport is accessible to people with disabilities.

• Build a North-West Motorway/high speed dual carriageway serving the route from Dublin to Donegal/Derry.

• Complete the M3 to serve the hard-pressed commuters of Meath and re-route it away from Tara.
• Abolish motorway and road tolls.
• Adopt a biofuel policy including tax incentives for the production of ethanol and provide incentives for car buyers to choose more environmentally friendly and efficient cars such as hybrid cars.

· Reverse the break-up of Aer Rianta, and return Air Lingus and Irish Ferries to public ownership or establish new companies in public ownership.