Improving community life

We need to rebuild communities and reduce dependency on a money economy.

• Increase support to local community centres. Community centres should have state-of-the-art equipment to enable people to do fitness classes or hold discussions.

• Provide free Wi-Fi in city centres. With limited investment, we can help turn Ireland into a hot spot of the digital age.

• Revitalise our libraries. With the right technology and staffing levels, these could be a store house for all sorts of media.

• Bring back council control of waste collection. Bin charges and the privatisation of waste collection have been a disaster.

• Develop proper recycling facilities at the local level. In many EU countries, there are free recycling facilities in many estates.

• Focus planning on revitalising communities. We will give local people greater democratic input into planning. We will not allow green spaces to be sold off for huge profits.

• Cut the rates for small businesses and increase them for the big chains: Business rates should be related to turnover. Smaller shops in city centres would pay less while the big supermarkets pay more.

• Stop the closure of local post offices and other state facilities.