Bright ideas from the public drive economic action plan

A PLAN to stimulate the economy made up of more than 5,000 ideas from the public has been submitted to the Government and business representatives for consideration by an online campaign.

The Ideas Campaign, which ran over the month of March, asked people to submit concepts to a website in a nationwide drive to boost the nation’s confidence and stimulate growth.

Now an action plan has been circulated to government, political parties and business organisations, community, voluntary and other sectors. Among the campaign’s ideas are:

* The creation of a new volunteer corps to engage the unemployed in community and voluntary work in Ireland and overseas, without loss of unemployment benefits

* A scheme which would offer discounts to companies and individuals who pay their taxes in advance which would provide revenue to government at lower than borrowing costs

* A proposal to replace pre-fabricated classroom buildings with permanent structures funded by local communities at no net cost to the State

* The extension of planning permission under certain conditions to stimulate construction activity

Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore’s congratulated the Ideas Campaign on its success with the launch of its action plan.

“Amidst all the gloom of the current economic situation and particularly the increase in the numbers out of work, it is important that we do not lose hope and that we continue to work together to get the country out of the recession,” he said.

The Ideas Campaign was launched in March as an independent and non-political citizens’ campaign. It was funded by AMAS, a Dublin-based online consultancy whose managing director Aileen O’Toole led the campaign. She is a former business editor and was the co-founder of The Sunday Business Post. The full report can be seen at www.IdeasCampaign.ie

Further ideas from the plan include:

* Abolish interest relief on landlords’ income from rented property.

* Abolish pension levy and lump sum on retirement for public servants.

* Abolish public sector pensions.

* Abolish the ceiling on PRSI.

* Provision of coupons to be redeemed at farmers’ markets in lieu of social welfare benefits.

* Tax on unhealthy food and a subsidy for healthy food (healthy food is more labour intensive to produce).

* Abolish 10pm closing of off-licences.

* Abolish the Good Friday alcohol restrictions.