The Fine Gael Candidate for the Charlestown area in the Dail Eireann Election 1948 was John McCarthy, of the Square Charlestown.

What Fine Gael stands for:

• Reduction in Taxation by elimination of woeful expenditure.

• Reduction of cost of living and increased employment through the enlargement of production by encouragement rather than by compulsion.

• Adequate maintenance for aged, infirm and those unable to obtain work.

• Abolition of Means Test and adequate old-age and widows pensions.

• Reclamation and drainage of land.

• Provision of markets and satisfactory prices, settled well in advance, for cattle and agricultural produce.

• Land improvement by drainage and provision of fertilisers.

• Livestock improvement by provision of feeding stuff.

Our Record

The record of achievement of the leaders of the Party is too well known to need setting out here. We do set out very generally the heads of policy which will be elaborated fully during the campaign and we are perfectly willing to discuss this policy with anyone who wishes to do so.

Taxation

Taxation will be so regulated that Taxes will be increased, only, as the wealth of the community increases. The present level of taxation at £59.000.000. is too high and will be reduced by the elimination of the squandering of money on administrative costs, and the subsidising of Companies, so that there will be no need to reduce the Social Services by such economies.

Agriculture

The Party recognises that the farmer knows more about running his farm than anyone in Dublin. Therefore we will not meddle with the farming industry.

It will help by providing drainage, markets, roads, education, fertilisers and where necessary will subsidise the farmer directly, instead of some Government funded company. We will welcome the advice of a representative council of farmers. The Party encourages Vocational organisation.

Education

Teach the children in good schools, with sufficient well-paid teachers, in the language to which they are accustomed and include Irish as a subject on the same basis as English and other languages. Direct the education on the basis that the majority of the people in the country are farmers, and that there is a difference in the mental make-up of the Male and Female.

A Council of education, to enable the Minister to have the advice of parents, Teachers and the Church, upon the problems of education, and to express their views thereon, will be established.

© Cathal Henry