Category: Policies

People Before Profit Healthcare Policy

SUMMARY

  1. For a National Health Service that treats people according to medical need and not the size of their wallet — For better Health by Effective Funding and Access to Healthcare
  2. For Reducing Health and Wealth Inequalities by Wealth Redistribution and Health Promotion Plans
  3. For Building Resistance to Cuts and Privatisation in Health Care — For Cuts in Profits not Cuts in Healthcare
  4. For Community Health Councils and Community Health Plans — For Open Local Democracy not Political and Corporate Corruption
  5. For Government Responsibility Nationally and Community Participation Locally

Click Here to read our full Healthcare Policy

In the nineteenth century, Karl Marx wrote:

“Men make their own history, but they do not make it just as they please; they do not make it under circumstances chosen by themselves, but under circumstances directly encountered, given and transmitted by the past. The traditions of all the dead generations weigh like a nightmare on the brain of the living”. (Marx 1979, p.103).

This aptly describes the experience of exclusion and discrimination for people with disabilities. Read more »

People Before Profit Policy on Abortion

SUMMARY

People Before Profit:

  1. supports the repeal of the 8th amendment to the Constitution.
  2. supports a woman’s right to make her own decisions regarding reproduction, including the right to free, safe, and legal abortion
  3. will continue to campaign for proper supports and equality for families and children.

Click here to read our full Abortion Policy

People Before Profit Education Policy

SUMMARY

  1. Education should be funded and managed exclusively by the State rather than handed over to various patron bodies.
  2. Establish a maximum class sizes: Our longer term goal is a maximum number of students in any class, anywhere in the country, should be 18.
  3. School transport, uniforms, meals, educational materials and play and PE facilities provided free in all schools.
  4. Employ lab assistants to cater for Science and ICT classes
  5. Restore supports for vulnerable pupils and all those with special educational needs
  6. Introduce modules on philosophy, political economy, arts and media studies in second
    level to promote creativity and civic awareness.
  7. Abolish university ‘registration’ fees; extend and improve maintenance and
    back-to-education grants.

Please click here to read our full Education Policy

People Before Profit Water Policy

SUMMARY

  • Oppose water charges.
  • Support for an organised boycott to defeat them.
  • Abolish Irish Water as a quango.
  • Direct public control over water treatment and supply.
  • For real conservation through mechanisms such as rainwater harvesting.
  • For an investigation into the activities of Siteserv.

Click here to read our full Water Policy

People Before Profit Housing Policy

SUMMARY

  1. Declare a national housing emergency
  2. Build 50,000 council houses– 10,000 a year over 5 years. This will cost €3 billion in the first year and a total of €7 billion over 5 years, but it will become self-financing by year 6 and into the future. This programme will also provide jobs in the construction sector and add to revenue receipts.
  3. Transfer of 20,000 NAMA housing units to local authorities.
  4. Introduce immediate Rent Controls. Establish a new Rental Board that oversees rental prices according to transparent criteria. Reduce rents where they do not meet these criteria and limit rent increases to the rate of inflation.
  5. Give tenants security of tenure to protect them against homelessness.
  6. Legal measures to outlaw discrimination – an end to “Rent Allowance not Accepted”

Click here to read our full Housing Policy

People Before Profit Economic Policy

SUMMARY

  1. Abolish water charges, property tax and USC for those under €70,000.
  2. Reverse the cuts to social welfare and develop quality public services.
  3. Put Ireland’s natural resources under public ownership.
  4. End Ireland’s role as a tax haven and establish a new development model with state enterprise creating tens of thousands of new jobs in areas including childcare, construction, healthcare, water maintenance and infrastructure, education.
  5. Reverse the post-crash policy of making low and middle income Ireland pay the costs of the crash. Shift the burden onto large corporations and wealthy individuals by:
    • Making corporations pay a minimum tax on profits on 12.5% by closing loopholes. Raise the rate to 15% over the life of the Dail.
    • Introduce a Robin Hood Tax on financial speculation.
    • Introduce higher rates of income tax for those over €100,000. Move towards amaximum income.
    • Bring the employers contribution to social security up to the EU average for large firms’ overtime.
    • End the status of tax exiles – make all with an Irish passport pay taxes to the Irish state.
    • Introduce a special solidarity tax on the vast profits made from sales of commercial property.
    • Ensure that companies like Apple who benefitted from special treatment pay all their back taxes.
    • Close loopholes and tax breaks used by the corporate pensions industry

Click here to read our full Economic Agenda