Pat Kavanagh, Fis Nua

Pat Kavanagh, Fis Nua
Constituency: Wicklow

Personal Details

• Address: Wicklow Town, Co. Wicklow
• Email address: 1patkavanagh@gmail.com
• Phone Number: 0862771871
• Facebook Page: Pat Kavanagh
• Website: www.fisnua.com
• Occupation: Owner/Manager The Cave Preschool and Afterschool
• Previous Occupation: Social Care Worker
• Financial interests: Owner/Manager The Cave Preschool and Afterschool
• Income (aside from income derived from political office): Income from Owner/Manager The Cave Preschool and Afterschool business only
• Approximate net worth of capital assets (aside from family residence): None

Political Details

• Are you an outgoing politician? Councillor
• Information on political career to date: Independent Green Councillor, Wicklow Town Council; Founding Member of Fís Nua; Friends of the Murrough, WCRC Parochial Hall, Wicklow Film Club, Wicklow Transition Towns, Owner The Cave Creative Arts Steiner preschool and afterschool
• How much money do you expect to spend in the election campaign? €200
• What will be the sources of this finance? Personal funds

Record and Manifesto

Personal election manifesto: Opposition to the bank bailout and corruption in business & public arena. Support for steady-state economy, devolution of power & extension of local democracy. Local Agenda 21. Social justice & properly funded education & health service. Child Protection. Protection of natural resources.

What in your record distinguishes you above the other candidates in your constituency? Pat has a firm committment to environmental causes, as demonstrated by her re-establishment four years ago of the Friends Of The Murrough organisation which has campaigned for an SAAO and management plan for The Murrough in Wicklow, and her support for Wicklow Head Preservation Group. Pat is also a long term member of the Wicklow Community Resource Centre Committee, which has worked tirelessly for the restoration of the former Parochial Hall for use as a badly needed community hall and Youth Cafe. Pat also spent some time working in child protection with the HSE.

What do you consider to be the main election issues in your constituency, and where do you stand on these issues? The need to separate bank & sovereign debt and opposition to the terms of the IMF / ECB bailout agreement. Opposition to cuts in social services, health and education.

What do you believe are the national priorities, and what do you propose in this regard? The need to separate bank & sovereign debt and opposition to the terms of the IMF / ECB bailout agreement. Opposition to cuts in social services, health and education. Child protection. Introduction of a whistle blowers charter.

Specific Policy Questions

Do you support political reform, and why? What measures would you introduce to reform local and national politics? Reduce the number of TDs from 166 to 130 and more than double Dáil sitting time. Abolish the un-elected Seanad. Cap elected representatives including the President's pay to a maximum of 2.5 times the national average wage. Complete overhaul of expenses provision to elected representatives that should be capped at an appropriate level. Free National Travel Passes on public transport to be issued to all public representatives in lieu of travel expenses throughout the country. Ban corporate, institutional or foreign-based donations to political parties. Immediately scrap the positions of Garda drivers for all TDs, except for An Taoiseach and the Minister for Defence, and instead set up a Bureau for Corporate Crime, to speed up the process of bringing white collar criminals, including bankers, developers and politicians involved in the bankrupting of this country, to swift justice. Develop and encourage public participation in political decision making by putting in place legislation and systems to hold People's Conventions (public information and debates) in every town and city, whenever major government decisions needed to be taken. The actions of our politicians would be informed by public consensus decisions taken nationally at official People's Conventions. Support legislation and systems of Direct Democracy, whereby the signatures of a % of the population could call for a constitutional referendum, or by-election to replace or recall a public representative.

Local Agenda 21 - We fully support the agreement reached in Rio in 1992 better known as Local Agenda 21 and call for The Aarhus Agreement to be transposed into Irish law immediately. A town/village/parish to be given the possibility to create a community council where a portion of some locally raised taxes such as rates, second home taxes, property taxes, will be given to that community to spend locally on educational, cultural, sporting and amenity issues. Community councils to be elected every year, basic remuneration per councillor to cover expenses phone, petrol etc. - State and Semi-State Board Restructuring We would review the necessity of all State and Semi-State Boards, and the number of people required to sit on such Boards. With high unemployment in the country, it is not feasible that one person would hold multiple positions on various state and semi-state Boards and Committees. We propose that any one individual can only hold one committee position on such boards. Appointment to State Boards must be made in an open and transparent manner, by advertising and interviewing for such positions. There will be equal representation from Social, Environmental and Economic interests, to include representatives selected from NGO and CDP organisations.

What do you believe the smart economy to be, and what measures do you propose to foster this? A Smart Economy is an enterprise economy utilising environmentally sustainable modern technology and communications techniques. This implies efficiency & innovation while promoting a high-quality environment, improving energy security and promoting social cohesion.

Our proposals are:

Concentrate our highly educated workforce's energies on the green tech industries, pharmaceuticals and research & development, with emphasis on the particular needs of third world countries.Seek an all-party approach to cut Ireland's carbon emissions by 5% annually. The technologies already exist for a locally controlled, renewable based alternative energy supplies. We need to ensure that opportunities to develop those technologies are supported by all levels of government. Remove limits on the fixed price tariff for wind farms, biomass and anaerobic digester power plants. A tax on industrial scale carbon dioxide & other greenhouse gas emissions. Expose false solutions to global warming, particularly the use of nuclear power and seek to reduce the use of nuclear power in neighbouring countries.

We support the Shell to Sea campaign in their endeavours to have the gas refinery moved out to sea and we oppose all new licensing for oil and gas exploration on Irish land or waters. Royalties on existing licences should be renegotiated. No use of destructive bio fuels Our lands, our forestry, our lakes, rivers and oceans are our most precious resource, and our guarantee of food sources and a sustainable future on the Island of Ireland. This includes everything above ground and below – any oil, gases, minerals or ore. We would introduce a complete ban on this state selling off any of our land or the resources of this land to private investors. Place the Corrib gas field, our forests and other natural resources under the control of the state where possible.

Science & Technology - Graduate tax credits depending on the R&D being undertaken, for example a 50% credit for original technology; a 25% credit for improving existing technology. 

Broadband - Ensure universal broadband availability nationwide and broadband availability should be integrated into the planning of all new building developments.

Transport - Prioritise the Dublin Metro and Luas extensions, provide Luas-type lines in Cork, Limerick and Galway and introduce commuter services on existing railway lines in Limerick and a line to Shannon. Open the western rail corridor from Galway to Derry with terminals going through Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal to facilitate passenger & freight transport. Investigate the introduction of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses as a more cost efficient mode of transport. Introduce and assist a scheme for community buses in rural areas, possibly incorporating the use of school buses in hours when they are not needed. Introduce a new cycling framework using the 2009 Draft National Cycle Manual as a basis along with submissions from cycling organisations in Ireland. Encourage cycling and public transport as alternatives to car transport, especially in urban areas. .

What steps do you propose to create sustainable and integrated communities in urban and rural Ireland? Tax incentives to support and encourage home-grown SMEs, co-operatives, and local indigenous industries and crafts persons who produce for both the home market and export. Introduce and assist a scheme for community buses in rural areas, possibly incorporating the use of school buses in hours when they are not needed. Ensure universal broadband availability nationwide. The Irish government should provide grants to help establish local currency/complementary currency schemes. These schemes should also be linked together through a national network and local councils should accept payments in local currencies.

The Irish government should also establish a National Redevelopment Community Fund to make available loans or advance payments to community organisations, small start-up enterprises, and existing small businesses to use as seed capital to make use of NAMA sites and ghost estates. Facilities, which currently lie vacant, should be made available to them at reasonable rates for the purpose of developing their businesses or for development as community or educational resources. The initial loan could either be repaid over time on a pre-agreed basis or the resulting finished facility could be part-owned by the state on completion of the development. Those organisations in receipt of the National Redevelopment Community Fund should be encouraged to employ those currently unemployed and to encourage the use of local currencies, wherever possible, in sourcing local materials and payment for services. Create secure, accessible and ethical local banking systems for people by growing the role of post offices and credit unions.

Enhance support for the local economy by expanding the range of smaller-scale "friendly" sources of finance. Introduce complementary, multilevel currencies to provide credit in tune with the needs of regions, towns, cities and neighbourhoods, whilst helping to inoculate the economy from systemic financial shocks. Create new public money, free of interest, to cope with unprecedented financial emergencies, and as the basis for loans to rebuild the infrastructure of productive local economies. Encourage the introduction of time banking, LETS systems and other measures to enhance the core social economy.Introduce/extend moratoria for housing crash victims, overhaul social housing and establish Community Land Trusts. Create asset-backed finance for investment, including Limited Liability Partnerships

Develop a tourism industry by the skilful management of our natural resources and by promoting outdoor activity holidays such as cycling, walking, hill walking, angling, sailing, surfing and bird watching. Develop policies that promote the very essence of Irish country living including promoting small, local accommodation providers, warm hospitality and food supplied by fresh home produce. We fully support the agreement reached in Rio in 1992 better known as Local Agenda 21 and call for The Aarhus Agreement to be transposed into Irish law immediately. A town/village/parish to be given the possibility to create a community council where a portion of some locally raised taxes such as rates, second home taxes, property taxes, will be given to that community to spend locally on educational, cultural, sporting and amenity issues. Community councils to be elected every year, basic remuneration per councillor to cover expenses phone, petrol etc.

What infrastructural projects do you believe are urgently required? How would you support their development? Prioritise the Dublin Metro and Luas extensions, provide Luas-type lines in Cork, Limerick and Galway and introduce commuter services on existing railway lines in Limerick and a line to Shannon. Open the western rail corridor from Galway to Derry with terminals going through Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal to facilitate passenger & freight transport. Investigate the introduction of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses as a more cost efficient mode of transport.

Do you believe there is a need for pension reform? What measures do you propose to safeguard a dignified and secure old age for Ireland's citizens?

Basic Income - Our aim is to introduce a basic income for all. Basic Income guarantees an income to each individual irrespective of personal circumstances. The Basic Income payment is tax free and all other income is taxed. The basic income amount should be sufficient so that everyone can afford food and shelter and other daily needs.

Pensions - Abolish tax relief for private pensions and establish a task force to look at pension provision.

National Pension Entitlements - We would retain the retirement age at 65 years, and abolish the practice of pension entitlement for all State pensions before age 65, including those of TDs and Senior Civil Servants. Similarly, all State employees, including Politicians, would only qualify for one pension – at the highest level of their achievement – multiple pensions would be abolished.

Where do you stand on the EU/IMF bailout? The bailout terms are clearly unsustainable and need to be renegotiated. We would stop the transfer of assets from banks to Nama at above current market values and implement the structured wind down of non-systemic and non-performing banks. We would instigate a full public and transparent enquiry into the current crisis. We would introduce effective controls of credit and investment instruments and introduce restraints against any system of bonus payments to employees of financial institutions which encourage short term risky financial management. We would encourage the pursuance of legal action against those who have contributed, through financial mismanagement, to the current financial crisis. We would also support prosecutions against those property developers who fraudulently obtained loans or illegally disposed of assets, and those who helped or encouraged them in so doing.

We would: Demerge banks that are "too big to fail" to reduce the risks of systemic failure. Segregate financial markets by separating activities such as trading and retail banking. Gradually eliminate all "exotic" financial instruments. Create secure, accessible and ethical local banking systems for people by growing the role of post offices and credit unions. Enhance support for the local economy by expanding the range of smaller-scale "friendly" sources of finance. Introduce complementary, multilevel currencies to provide credit in tune with the needs of regions, towns, cities and neighbourhoods, whilst helping to inoculate the economy from systemic financial shocks. Create new public money, free of interest, to cope with unprecedented financial emergencies, and as the basis for loans to rebuild the infrastructure of productive local economies. All these measure would reduce our reliance on external finance and strengthen our position in relation to renegotiation of the bailout terms and remove the possibility of future banking crisis.

Would you support holding a referendum decide the question of making any further payments from the citizens to bank creditors? If required, but I think that it is clear that there is general opposition to the using citizens funds for bank creditors.

Do you support the Fine Gael policy for Health Reform? No, I do not support the Fine Gael policy. We support the introduction of a universal public and free health service in Ireland with no private practice use of public resources. ? Open 24-hour primary care centres – multi-disciplinary health clinics staffed by GPs, nurses, midwives, and specialist practitioners. ? We seek to review mental health services and facilities to ensure the highest standard of care and services for people affected by mental health issues. We include in this a national strategy to deal with suicide, depression, dementia, community and hospital care facilities, and issues of mental health relating to children and young people.

What job creation initiatives do you propose? Already outlined under smart economy (see above)

What measures do you propose to provide adequate housing and security of tenure to every Irish citizen? With over 300,000 dwellings unoccupied in the state this can provide and ensure the delivery of 30,000 social and affordable housing units a year until the housing waiting lists are cleared.

Questions from Politico Readers

How would you ensure greater transparency and communication to the public when in government? (Martin Byrne) We would Develop and encourage public participation in political decision making by putting in place legislation and systems to hold People's Conventions (public information and debates) in every town and city, whenever major government decisions needed to be taken. The actions of our politicians would be informed by public consensus decisions taken nationally at official People's Conventions. Support legislation and systems of Direct Democracy, whereby the signatures of a % of the population could call for a constitutional referendum, or by-election to replace or recall a public representative.

Will you ensure that natural resources remain under state ownership? (Chris Maher) We would amend the constitution so that the Government of the day has a legal responsibility to protect the nation's wealth – with failure resulting in jail sentences and heavy fines. Our lands, our forestry, our lakes, rivers and oceans are our most precious resource, and our guarantee of food sources and a sustainable future on the Island of Ireland. This includes everything above ground and below – any oil, gases, minerals or ore. We would introduce a complete ban on this state selling off any of our land or the resources of this land to private investors. ? Place the Corrib gas field, our forests and other natural resources under the control of the state where possible.

If in Government what would be the first change you would seek in the Constitution and why? (Kevin Cooney) There are actually two: Amend the Constitution so that the Government of the day has a legal responsibility to protect the nation's wealth – with failure resulting in jail sentences and heavy fines. Such a measure would make it a criminal offence to put the economy of the country in jeopardy by such measures that we have seen put in place by the last government i.e. the blanket bank guarantee and NAMA. We would also introduce support for systems of Direct Democracy, whereby the signatures of a % of the population could call for a constitutional referendum, or by-election to replace or recall a public representative.

Would you support capping TD & Minister salaries at twice the average industrial wage, with €10,000 per annum expenses? (John Murphy) Our policy is something similar to your proposals but not exactly the same. Our policy is to cap elected representatives, including the President's, pay to a maximum of 2.5 times the national average wage. We support a complete overhaul of expenses provision to elected representatives that should be capped at an appropriate level. Free National Travel Passes on public transport to be issued to all public representatives in lieu of travel expenses throughout the country. Immediately scrap the positions of Garda drivers for all TDs, except for An Taoiseach and the Minister for Defence, and instead set up a Bureau for Corporate Crime, to speed up the process of bringing white collar criminals, including bankers, developers and politicians involved in the bankrupting of this country, to swift justice.

What proposals do you have on debt reform? (Tara O'Grady) We want to move away from a debt-based economy. In the immediate term we need to deal with the separation of bank and sovereign debt and end the bailout of the banks. We have many other policies in relation to the reform of the system to reduce the amount of instability inherent in the current financial system and towards a steady-state economy, removing the boom & bust nature of the present economic system. We need also to introduce debt-easing to help ordinary individuals saddled with impossible mortgages arising from the false property boom.

Will you support root and branch reform of all levels of the public service? Starting with the top earners, including politicians. (Terri O'Brien) Yes. We want to reduce the number of TDs from 166 to 130 and more than double Dáil sitting time. Abolish the un-elected Seanad. Cap elected representatives including the President's pay to a maximum of 2.5 times the national average wage. Complete overhaul of expenses provision to elected representatives that should be capped at an appropriate level. All aspects of public service need to be analysed and reformed to make sure that all government, local government & quangos are responsive to the needs of the public and that maximum resourses are put into the actual provision of useful services such as education and health provision rather than unnecessary bureaucracy. All political, social and economic decisions taken at the lowest effective level, reflecting the decisions reached at the Rio Conference in 1992, 'Local Agenda 21?.

What experts would you try and get into the Dáil through the Seanad to help in the recovery? (Grainne Fallon) I think you are asking what experts I would seek to get into the Seanad amongst those Senators nominated by the Taoiseach. We would like to abolish the Seanad but if it continued to exist we would support nomination of individuals who have shown support and extensive knowledge around the needs for protection of environment & community resources or other aspects of support for social welfare, health, education or local/cooperative business.