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Candidates

Mary Butler’s Policies

These issues below are sorted in descending order based on how important the average Irish [people] voter ranked them on the quiz.

Topics

Social  ›  Abortion

What is your stance on abortion?

  Party’s support basePro-choice, but ban after the first three months

Social  ›  Gay Marriage

Do you support the legalisation of same sex marriage?

  Party’s support baseYes, but allow churches the right to refuse same-sex ceremonies

the Economy  ›  Equal Pay

Should employers be required to pay men and women the same salary for the same job?

  Party’s support baseYes

Housing  ›  Rent Control

Should the government implement rent control policies to limit the amount landlords can charge for rent?

  Party’s support baseYes

Foreign Policy  ›  European Union

Should Ireland withdraw from the European Union?

  Party’s support baseNo


Social  ›  LGBT Adoption Rights

Should gay couples have the same adoption rights as straight couples?

  Party’s support baseYes, as long as they pass the same background checks as straight couples

Transportation  ›  Public Transportation

Should the government increase spending on public transportation?

  Party’s support baseYes

Domestic Policy  ›  Government Surveillance

Should the government be able to monitor phone calls and emails?

  Party’s support baseNo

Foreign Policy  ›  Military Neutrality

Should Ireland end its traditional policy of military neutrality?

  Party’s support baseNo

Housing  ›  Homeless Shelters

Should the government increase funding for homeless shelters and services?

  Party’s support baseYes

Transportation  ›  Smart Transportation Infrastructure

Should the government invest in the development of smart transportation infrastructure?

  Party’s support baseYes

the Economy  ›  Minimum Wage

Should the government raise the national minimum wage?

  Party’s support baseYes, and adjust it every year according to inflation

Education  ›  Irish Language Curriculum

Should the Irish language remain a compulsory subject on the national curriculum?

  Party’s support baseYes

the Economy  ›  Budget Surplus Spending

Should a budget surplus fund tax cuts, cost-of-living support, and public services?

  Party’s support baseYes

the Economy  ›  Social Housing

Should funding for social housing be increased?

  Party’s support baseYes

Housing  ›  Foreign Real Estate Investment

Should the government restrict the purchase of residential properties by foreign investors?

  Party’s support baseYes

the Environment  ›  Environmental Regulation

Should the government increase environmental regulations on businesses to reduce carbon emissions?

  Party’s support baseYes, and provide more incentives for alternative energy production

Science  ›  Mandatory Vaccinations

Should the government require children to be vaccinated for preventable diseases?

  Party’s support baseYes

the Economy  ›  Taxes

Should Ireland raise taxes on the rich?

  Party influenceNo, but lower taxes for the poor

Domestic Policy  ›  United Ireland

Do you support a united Ireland?

  Party’s support baseYes

Foreign Policy  ›  Israel Trade Suspension

Should the government suspend trade with Israel due to the Israel-Hamas conflict?

  Party’s support baseYes

Education  ›  Tuition Fees

Should Ireland abolish university tuition fees?

  Party’s support baseYes, and replace it with a graduate tax

Foreign Policy  ›  Mandatory Military Service

Should every 18 year old citizen be required to provide at least one year of military service?

  Party’s support baseNo, service should be a choice instead of an obligation

Social  ›  Euthanasia

Should terminally ill patients be allowed to end their lives via assisted suicide?

  Party’s support baseYes, but only if there is no chance they will survive their illness

Healthcare  ›  NHS Healthcare System

Should Ireland adopt a public healthcare system similar to the NHS in Britain?

  Party’s support baseYes

the Economy  ›  Childcare Fee Cap

Should the government cap childcare fees to improve affordability?

  Party’s support baseYes

Elections  ›  Retirement Age of Politicians

Should politicians be required to wait until the age of 65 to receive a pension?

  Party’s support baseYes

Social  ›  Gender Workplace Diversity

Should businesses be required to have women on their board of directors?

  Party’s support baseNo

Domestic Policy  ›  Whistleblower Protection

Should the government pass laws which protect whistleblowers?

  Party’s support baseYes

Social  ›  Teacher and Faculty Diversity Training

Should schools be allowed to require mandatory diversity training for teachers and faculty?

  Party’s support baseYes

Housing  ›  Private Rental Dependence

Should the government shift from private rentals to public housing to improve affordability?

  Party’s support baseYes

Crime  ›  Drug Trafficking Penalties

Should drug traffickers receive the death penalty?

  Party’s support baseNo, sentence them to life in prison without parole instead

Social  ›  Hate Speech

Should hate speech be protected by freedom of speech laws?

  Party’s support baseNo

Healthcare  ›  Healthcare Privatisation

Should there be more or less privatisation of hospital and healthcare services?

  Party’s support baseLess, and there should be no privatization of the healthcare industry

Elections  ›  Criminal Politicians

Should a politician, who has been formerly convicted of a crime, be allowed to run for office?

  Party’s support baseNo, and disallow politicians that are under investigation for a crime

the Economy  ›  Corporate Tax

Should the government raise or lower the tax rate for corporations?

  Party’s support baseLower

Social  ›  Women in Combat

Should the military allow women to serve in combat roles?

  Party’s support baseYes, as long as they can pass the same physical tests as men

Immigration  ›  Muslim Immigrant Ban

Should Muslim immigrants be banned from entering the country until the government improves its ability to screen out potential terrorists?

  Party’s support baseNo, but we should ban immigrants from “high risk” countries

the Economy  ›  Inheritance Tax

Should the government abolish the inheritance tax?

  Party’s support baseYes

Elections  ›  Mental competency testing

Should politicians over 75 years of age have required to pass a mental competency test?

  Party’s support baseYes

Immigration  ›  Freedom of Movement

Should the EU restrict the freedom of movement to better control immigration and security?

  Party’s support baseYes

Social  ›  Death Penalty

Do you support the death penalty?

  Party’s support baseNo

Crime  ›  Private Prisons

Should the government hire private companies to run prisons?

  Party’s support baseNo, private prisons will sacrifice quality of care and rehabilitation services for profit

the Economy  ›  Tax on Wealthy and Corporations

Do you support tax policies that target high earners, banks, and luxury sectors?

  Party’s support baseNo

the Economy  ›  Water Charges

Should water charges be abolished?

  Party’s support baseYes

the Economy  ›  Welfare

Should there be fewer or more restrictions on current social welfare benefits?

  Party’s support baseMore

the Environment  ›  Fox Hunting

Do you support the practice of hunting foxes with dogs?

  Party’s support baseNo, this is a cruel sport which should remain illegal

Social  ›  Transgender Athletes

Should transgender athletes be allowed to compete against athletes that differ from their assigned sex at birth?

  Party’s support baseNo

Healthcare  ›  Single-Payer Healthcare

Do you support a single-payer healthcare system?

  Party’s support baseYes, but allow people to use private insurance

Technology  ›  Ethical Artificial Intelligence

Should the government regulate artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure ethical use?

  Party’s support baseYes

Education  ›  Niqāb

Should girls be allowed to wear the niqab or burka in Catholic Schools?

  Party’s support baseYes, we should respect all cultural and religious traditions

Domestic Policy  ›  Drug Policy

Are you in favour of decriminalising drug use?

  Party’s support baseNo

Healthcare  ›  Safe Haven

Should cities open drug “safe havens” where people who are addicted to illegal drugs can use them under the supervision of medical professionals?

  Party’s support baseNo

the Economy  ›  Bonus Cap

Should bankers’ bonuses be capped at 100% of their pay?

  Party’s support baseYes

Housing  ›  Foreclosure Assistance

Should the government provide assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure?

  Party’s support baseYes

Social  ›  Niqāb

Should women be allowed to wear a Niqāb, or face veil, to civic ceremonies?

  Party’s support baseYes, but their identity must be privately verified by a female staff member

the Economy  ›  Government Spending

Should the government make cuts to public spending in order to reduce the national debt?

  Party’s support baseNo

Immigration  ›  High Risk Immigrant Ban

Should immigrants from high risk countries be banned from entering the country until the government improves its ability to screen out potential terrorists?

  Party’s support baseYes

Immigration  ›  Immigrant Housing

Should the government increase temporary housing to accommodate immigrants and refugees?

  Party’s support baseNo

the Economy  ›  Universal Basic Income

Do you support a universal basic income program?

  Party’s support baseNo

the Environment  ›  Plastic Product Ban

Should disposable products (such as plastic cups, plates, and cutlery) that contain less than 50% of biodegradable material be banned?

  Party’s support baseYes, and ban all disposable products that are not made of at least 75% of biodegradable material

Foreign Policy  ›  EU Army

Do you support the creation of a European Army?

  Party’s support baseNo

Elections  ›  Campaign Finance

Should corporations, unions, and non-profit organizations be allowed to donate to political parties?

  Party’s support baseNo

the Economy  ›  Labor Unions

Do you believe labor unions help or hurt the economy?

  Party’s support baseHelp, in theory but have recently become corrupt and should have their powers limited

the Economy  ›  Economic Stimulus

Should the government use economic stimulus to aid the country during times of recession?

  Party influenceYes, but in the form of tax breaks for low income citizens

Healthcare  ›  Marijuana

Do you support the legalisation of Marijuana?

  Party’s support baseYes, but only for medical use

Technology  ›  Data Privacy

Should the government impose stricter regulations on the collection and use of personal data by companies?

  Party’s support baseYes

Social  ›  Employee Diversity Training

Should companies be allowed to require mandatory diversity training for employees?

  Party’s support baseYes

Immigration  ›  Citizenship Test

Should immigrants be required to pass a citizenship test to demonstrate a basic understanding of our country’s language, history, and government?

  Party’s support baseYes

Social  ›  Student Diversity Training

Should schools be allowed to require mandatory diversity training for students?

  Party’s support baseYes

Domestic Policy  ›  Social Media Regulation

Should the government regulate social media sites, as a means to prevent fake news and misinformation?

  Party’s support baseYes

Housing  ›  High density residential buildings

Should the government incentivize the construction of high density residential buildings?

  Party’s support baseYes

Science  ›  Nuclear Energy

Do you support the use of nuclear energy?

  Party influenceNo

Crime  ›  Demilitarize the Police

Should police departments be allowed to use military grade equipment?

  Party’s support baseYes

the Environment  ›  Fracking

Do you support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources?

  Party’s support baseNo, more research is needed to measure the long term effects of fracking

Immigration  ›  Dual Citizenship

Should immigrants to Ireland be allowed to hold dual citizenship status?

  Party’s support baseYes, unless they have committed a crime

the Economy  ›  State Ownership

Should the government acquire equity stakes in companies it bails out during a recession?

  Party’s support baseYes

Domestic Policy  ›  Seanad Éireann Electoral System

Should the Seanad be a wholly elected body?

  Party’s support baseYes

Foreign Policy  ›  European Union Countries

Should the number of countries in the European Union be reduced to 15?

  Party’s support baseNo

the Economy  ›  Domestic Jobs

Should the government provide tax incentives to private companies to keep jobs within the country?

  Party influenceYes

Foreign Policy  ›  Backstop

Should the U.K. and Northern Ireland remain in the EU’s customs area after Brexit?

  Party’s support baseYes, keep the EU bloc’s single market and its customs union

National Security  ›  Foreign Assassination

Should Ireland assassinate suspected terrorists in foreign countries?

  Party’s support baseNo, capture, interrogate, and imprison them instead

Immigration  ›  Skilled Immigrants

Should the government increase or decrease the amount of temporary work visas given to high-skilled immigrant workers?

  Party’s support baseIncrease

Healthcare  ›  COVID Employment Health Pass

Should the government require employees of large businesses to be vaccinated from COVID?

  Party’s support baseNo

the Economy  ›  Government Pensions

Should pension payments be increased for retired government workers?

  Party’s support baseNo

the Environment  ›  Geoengineering

Should the government fund research into geoengineering as a way to combat climate change?

  Party’s support baseYes

Transportation  ›  Electric Vehicle Mandates

Should the government require all new cars to be electric or hybrid by a certain date?

  Party’s support baseNo

Foreign Policy  ›  Foreign Aid

Should Ireland increase or decrease foreign aid spending?

  Party’s support baseIncrease, but only for countries that have no human rights violations

Elections  ›  Voting Rights Abroad

Should Irish citizens, living abroad and in Northern Ireland, have the right to vote in presidential elections?

  Party’s support baseYes, but only for citizens living in Northern Ireland

Foreign Policy  ›  European Commission

Should the European Commission be dismantled?

  Party’s support baseNo

Housing  ›  Homeless Encampments

Should homeless individuals, that have refused available shelter or housing, be allowed to sleep or encamp on public property?

  Party’s support baseNo

the Economy  ›  VAT Rates

Should VAT rates be increased or decreased?

  Party influenceDecrease, to provide economic growth

Elections  ›  Minimum Voting Age

Should the minimum voting age be lowered?

  Party’s support baseNo

Science  ›  Lab Grown Meat

Should the government allow the commercialization of lab-grown meat?

  Party’s support baseNo

Domestic Policy  ›  Term Limits

Should there be term limits set for members of the Dáil Éireann?

  Party influenceNo

Foreign Policy  ›  Ukraine and Nato

Should Ukraine join NATO?

  Party’s support baseYes

Education  ›  Free Tuition Fees Scheme

Should the free tuition fees scheme be available to foreign students?

  Party’s support baseNo

Domestic Policy  ›  Northern Ireland Power Sharing

Should the power-sharing provincial government be restored in Northern Ireland?

  Party’s support baseYes

Education  ›  Student Exchange Programs

Do you support the increase of the EU budget for student exchange programs like Erasmus+?

  Party’s support baseYes

Immigration  ›  Immigrant Assimilation

Should immigrants be required to learn English?

  Party’s support baseYes

Elections  ›  Seanad Éireann Referendum

Should the Seanad be abolished?

  Party’s support baseNo

the Economy  ›  Offshore Banking

Should Irish citizens be allowed to save or invest their money in offshore bank accounts?

  Party’s support baseYes

Crime  ›  Free Legal Aid

Should repeat offenders be entitled to free legal aid?

  Party’s support baseNo

Healthcare  ›  Medical Consensus

Should medical boards penalize doctors who give health advice that contradicts contemporary scientific consensus?

  Party’s support baseYes

Foreign Policy  ›  Post Brexit UK

Should the UK be allowed to access European Markets once they leave the EU?

  Party’s support baseNo

Domestic Policy  ›  Political Advertising on Social Media

Should social media companies ban political advertising?

  Party’s support baseNo

Healthcare  ›  World Health Organization

Should the government fund the World Health Organization?

  Party’s support baseYes

Foreign Policy  ›  Military Spending

Should Ireland increase or decrease military spending?

  Party influenceIncrease

Crime  ›  Defunding the Police

Should funding for local police departments be redirected to social and community based programs?

  Party’s support baseNo

Crime  ›  Criminal Voting Rights

Should convicted criminals have the right to vote?

  Party’s support baseYes, but only after completing their sentences and parole/probation

Elections  ›  Elected Representatives

Should the number of elected representatives be reduced?

  Party’s support baseNo, this would give too much political power to a small number of representatives

Crime  ›  Prison Overcrowding

Should non-violent prisoners be released from jail in order to reduce overcrowding?

  Party’s support baseNo

the Environment  ›  Corporate Subsidies

Should cities be allowed to offer private companies economic incentives to relocate?

  Party’s support baseYes

Transportation  ›  Diesel Emission Standards

Should the government implement stricter emissions standards for diesel vehicles?

  Party’s support baseNo

Immigration  ›  Migrant Children

Should the children of migrants who live in French territories be allowed to join their families?

  Party’s support baseYes

Domestic Policy  ›  Flag Burning

Should it be illegal to burn the Irish flag?

  Party’s support baseYes

Domestic Policy  ›  Gambling

Should the government ban gambling?

  Party’s support baseNo

Domestic Policy  ›  Dáil Participation

Should elected Members of Parliament in Northern Ireland be able to sit and participate in the Dáil?

  Party’s support baseNo

the Economy  ›  Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

Do you support the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)?

  Party influenceYes, but with more transparency

Social  ›  Cultural Funding

Should the EU increase funding for cultural initiatives that promote European heritage and diversity?

  Party’s support baseYes

Transportation  ›  Ride-Sharing Subsidies

Should the government subsidize ride-sharing services for low-income individuals?

  Party’s support baseYes

National Security  ›  Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Defense

Should the government invest in artificial intelligence (AI) for defense applications?

  Party’s support baseYes

Technology  ›  Self Hosted Digital Wallets

Should citizens be allowed to secure their money in self-hosted digital wallets that the government can monitor but not control?

  Party’s support baseYes, and also allowed to use a privacy layer that prevents monitoring of funds and transactions

Technology  ›  Social Media Regulation

Should the government mandate that large tech companies share their algorithms with regulators?

  Party’s support baseYes

National Security  ›  Backdoor Access to Encrypted Communications

Should the government require tech companies to provide backdoor access to encrypted communications for national security purposes?

  Party’s support baseYes

Technology  ›  Cryptocurrencies

Should the government implement stricter regulations on the use of cryptocurrencies?

  Party’s support baseYes

Transportation  ›  Designated Autonomous Vehicle Lanes

Should cities designate special lanes for autonomous vehicles?

  Party’s support baseNo