DRAFT>> GE 24 Conor Murphy manifesto - in pRO. >> DRAFT

What is Government, what might or should it be?

Ideally 

(i) fully representative of the will of all the population 

(ii) this means consulting with and representing the views of all, 

(iii) it means democracy, we do not have that as number (ii) does not happen

(iv) it means providing the infrastructure for all people to thrive

(v) it means developing the country and its infrastructure

(vi) it means spending the income judiciously and responsibly with a sound well-defined strictly adhered to, competitive budget and tendering processes

Where we are now

Well most of the above does not happen if we are really honest at least not to any noticeable or appreciable extent. We have one of the worlds top wealth creation strategies and we get Private Equity, to house those whom those multinationals employ, on big salaries, at prices the average person cannot afford - ever

Where we want to get to - A VISION for 2050

An Ireland that is more akin to our European neighbours where thinking in not immature and greed based but where the welfare of all is of the prime concern. A more socialist based economy with higher taxes to pay for all the infrastructure and development that is not happening

An Ireland that is multi-cultural but very much still uniquely recognised and celebrated as Irish. 

We need ministers not in it only for themselves but who deeply dream of a country not just to be proud-of on account of a cute tax strategy

We need to outline a strategy that determines how best we fit with and relate with the USA, UK, the EU and the RoW.

We might think of targets such as:-

1. No. of Irish employed/living in these 3 countries & Rest of World - 30%, 30%, 30%, 10% = 20mm?

2. No of persons from these 4 areas living and working in Ireland - 10%, 10%, 20%, 10% = 2mm the remaining 4mm being indigenous Irish

3. Split of the latter across the 4 provinces 25% each

4. Split of the latter in each County - broadly speaking 70% Irish, 30% non-indigenous

5. Split of National Revenue from Pharma, IT, Farming, AI/Data, Tourism, Sevices/Retail, Engineering/Industrial - 15%, 15%, 30%, 15%, 10%, 10%, 5% - assume euro 100mm growing year on year by 5%

6. Expenditure or National Budget - Housing, Health, Education, Infrastructure, Investment for the Future 20% each with a small government budget for "Managing the Simplified Corporation (PLC)" with any required services contracted out to listed companies that hence need to deliver  & with it being preferable to redeploy the euro6bn currently spent on NGO's, i.e. Quangos (quasi NGOS) to the education pot - Ireland is a very small corporate and needs a CEO, a Board of Directors and a Management Team. THATS ALL, NOTHING MORE. IT IS ALMOST LIKE THIS ANYWAY WITH ONE GREAT MAN EFFECTIVELY RUNNING THE SHOW. The people to be shareholders of said PLC and to receive quarterly dividends skewed towards those less well off and from which mandatory combined house, car & health insurance to be purchased from one or two highly regulated insurers - too much Government income in Ireland is leaked or steered into hands that are excessively greedy, be it hospital builders, asylum providers, cycle lane constructors etc. 

SWOT  - Retain, Ammend, Set-aside

Retain - Taoiseach - redefine as CEO and promote CFO to said position

Amend Cabinet to comprise Directors - Health, Education (incl. welfare), Energy (Tech & Industry), Infrastructure (DOGE), Homeless

Set-aside - TDs with no central government defined functional roles and QUA NGO's 

Recommendations 

Slimmed down Government with simplified structure and clear accountabilities reported on TV News each month c/w targets for population mix controlled by closed/partially open borders

Current income 2023 - euro 123.7bn

Current budget 2023 - euro 115.4bn

Current Government debt - euro 220.7bn - assume at 3% p.a. = euro 6.6bn 

Desired Status - Debt Free - so we are not controlled by debt providers be that as it may the EU, with a 10 year plan to grow income at 5% p.a. and hence commence a paying down of debt & a structured setting aside of an investment pot, target euro 100 bn by 2040

Actions

1. Radically restructure government on an as needs only basis - CEO, Board (5-6 Ministers/Directors), a Management Team - comprising senior TDs and by interview such that TDs have a job that is function, goals and accountability based, not just getting as much money for their constituents as possible, with remainder of TDs responsible for ensuring views of the population are canvassed, represented and fed-back to decision makers.

How

The population will be no different to any Plc shareholders and will receive a quarterly report and presentation consisting primarily of the extent to which Board have delivered the targets 

DOGE Specifics

A new special committee comprising 5 persons who have demonstrated exceptional ability to deliver results who are accountable for ensuring the new 90% small Government follows rigorous processes for tendering, expenditure, remuneration and project economics screening and development  

Ethics

Start from scratch - does exist currently but is worthless, nothing achieved - I do not need to go into the details - we all know

Systems & Process - THE RULES & the reporting of adherence, reconciliation & sanction

The GOAL - That a sustainable plan for 100% eradication of homelessness in Ireland is developed by end 2024 and delivered in full by end 2025 

Current Status - Deplorable - one of richest countries in world with 1000s sleeping outside in the freezing cold

Root Causes - Family Breakdown, Education System failing those with challenging circumstances, DRUGS, alcohol and no ownership, appetite, accountability in Government to resolve a very fixable problem

What needs to change - all those on the streets be found safe modern warm uplifting homes AND the above root causes to be cured by identification of high potential cases and the implementation of a series of safety nets to address events where children and adults may be prone to becoming homeless

HOW - One member of new Board of Government to be specifically accountable for delivering the above GOALS prior end 2025 - non-negotiable

Status of Ireland in the EU

Much diminished - amid own goals such as removal of a valued and smart senior representative, non-support of EU President (perhaps to some extent understandably) but also due completely bringing the process of MEP selection into disrepute almost akin to sending a turkey to the eurovision whereby our representative have limited to nil qualifications and experience which can only make us a laughing stock of Europe. 

For what those MEPS are paid we hear very little of their activities or achievements if any at all. Europe's MEPs have also allegedly over-managed expenses and I think I read somewhere that still Ireland has 17 of 19 Audit Actions not addressed and hence outstanding. This does not indicate a Country that takes seriously its EU obligations. 

We must seriously ask what is the objective of our status in the EU - do we get as much as we give - are we not both overly contributing funds and being overly forced to vote through EU dictates such as the Pandemic Treaty and Hate Speech and Asylum and Migration Pact. 

The very role that we have been given is most likely on account of our delinquency in legislative procedures

If we are to stay in Europe then our GOAL must be very clear. For example we rely on Europe for x% of our imports and y% of exports - we need Europe as it affords us a trade surplus of euro Xbn. We rely on EU for responsible governance BUT only if we have MEPS capable of strongly managing our local input. We MUST have if not a blocking vote then an opt-out choice on all legislation. We must assure the population that we will not be dictated to by Big Pharma and the WHO for pandemics and vaccines, by the WEF and their 17 Sustainable Development Goals and by Climate Terror and Scare-mongering

EU Direction (also USA, UK, Asia & Africa)

Vision, Strategy and Goals

If we are to remain in Europe then (i) Europe must assist us sort our capital city into something that we can be proud of rather the filthy decrepit thing it is at present and (ii) if Europe wants us to welcome and protect migrants from the 4 neo-EU countries as defined in the Asylum & Migration Pact (which as DEFINED in the Pact actually means RESETTLEMENT NEEDS, whatever that means) i.e. Mauritania, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria, then the EU MUST provide budget for additional Schools, Hospitals Roads and Power  

Otherwise we should consider IrExit if no other rationale can be determined save for a minor trade surplus. 

1.0 Health

Current Status & Reputation - let me not waste words, a scandal and a disgrace - too much for too little and not nearly of sufficient quality nor availability of state of the art medical cures - euro 25bn -  we are ranked 80th in the world and yet are one of the highest spenders per capita - so NOT GOOD ENOUGH - VERY LOW PRODUCTIVITY  

Root Causes

Excessively paid medical staff at the highest level, exceptionally greedy premiums by insurance companies, most likely half of the population subsidised by the other half. As all ministers have said, we reward bad performance by throwing money at the underachievers. Totally upside down. The bad performers should be warned and then terminated.  

A Suggested Vision for Dept. of Health 2030

1. Establish where a model of excellence is deployed in the world

2. Commit to copy it asap verbatim - no fiddling adjusting or BLOCKING

3. Develop Best in Class performance metrics for Top Ten Illnesses

4. Benchmark ourselves versus best 10 in the world to identify the gaps

5. Develop and reconcile a plan for which accountable persons are recruited, sanction being to be terminated for non delivery of targets

2.0 Education

Current Status - Relatively Good - Some excellent breakthrough ideas and concepts

Gaps - Syllabus - perhaps needs modernising a little to incorporate AI, Coding, Chip (& DNA based chip) development, Biochem, Microbiology and Genetics, Pharmacology, Technical Skills for ALL, Economics & Project Financing, (history, geography and languages to be moved to electives but mandatory as one unit for new arrivals in the country to prevent dilution of our culture and risk of alienation of those fine and good and kind people)

Potential adjustments

Develop prioritised plan for gradual curriculum change, one new subject per year. Adjust teacher training accordingly. Economics and budget to be determined to make teaching an even greater valued career not just in schools but in Universities. 

* Sexualisation and sex education of young children to be strictly BANNED, end of. Teachers to back right out of all bar the very highest level of sex guidances. Here-forward parents to do their part and to be the sole arbiters of this aspect of their children's life. School is for learning. For addition of skills. It is not a social experiment.

3.0 Energy 

Current Status - Trying our best but needs adjustment. By 2030 sustainable power will be a Trillion dollar industry equal in value to the hydrocarbon industry. 

We have strong electricity and gas companies but our energy is way too expensive, primarily because there is NO Competition - its is a protected sector

We are completely un-diversified in terms of energy sources. Commendably in a way we have banned hydrocarbon exploration. Little actually came from the 300 or so wells and the one project we developed, Corrib, was delivered for $7bn against a plan of......$1bn, i.e. thats what 1 Tcf costs to develop elsewhere. So we actually deserve zero Foreign Direct Investment in this area as our Government were actually appalling in their lack of support for Shell. 

So we are between a rock and hard place. Unless our reputation as world champions of corruption (the hospital, cycle paths, asylum hotels and centres etc.) and planning objections, can be fixed, no foreign energy provider will nor should come anywhere close to the mainland of Ireland

Root Causes

Lack of a robust strategy setting out a plan which positions us to have 1.5-2.0 times the power available to the country that we are projected to need over the next 25 years. 

Where we need to get to

We need cabled electricity capacity from France (aka nuclear)

Long term contracted interconnector gas from the UK

Corrib should be produced at a minimal level and used only for rare peak day provision

LNG - ideally yes, but only if Government Board is an oil and gas expert such as ex. CEO BP, to oversea tendering and negotiations - no enthusiastic local amateurs without long career with oil majors overseas - sorry, but NO, NO & NO

Limited new licensing laws to incentivise gas exploration complete with capped price agreement above which State will not accept gas sales

New Dept to be set-up to investigate and research new technologies all managed within a world class opportunity funnel where concepts are promptly scoped and rejected based potential to deliver energy at 50% current price per kWhr

Note: Only when we have supply alternatives will we be able to negotiate from a base of strength to reduce cost of gas, nuclear electricity from France & maybe the UK, gas from the UK and solar and wind power onshore and offshore, 

4.0 Infrastructure

Current status - atrocious save for PE funded housing development and asylum accommodation at 4-10 times actual cost 

Root Causes - greed, lack of planning, backs against the wall negotiation and who knows what else

Current Status - State of the Irish Nation

The Very Good - Sport, GAA, Rugby, Olympians and many more, the Arts and Music

The Good - Values of the majority of the normal people of Ireland - kind, open, witty, talented

The OK - The National Broadcaster BUT the news somehow needs to be far far far more inclusive and balanced rather than just what the Government want - arguably it needs to be self-financing so as to have the licence to truly investigate and challenge - more FT/WSJ/Economist than the Independent

The Not So Good - Delivery of Government, Legacy Development of Dublin Infrastructure 

The Atrocious - HSE, Waste, Greed, Corruption, Migration, Homeless and Affordable Housing 

Where do we want to be, how do we want to seen and known as:-

This is very important - we need to get a grip here before we dilute ourselves into extinction

Arguably we need to develop a draft VISION and put it to the people so as to gain input and ownership and such that the mandatory pillers of Democracy, Consultation, Trust & Transparency are once again put centre and foremost, for anything remotely associated with Government. The time for liberal arrogant non-inclusive inequality and greed must be declared - TERMINATED