STATEMENT OF INTENT.  THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE  Fine Gael and the Labour Party have agreed to offer the electorate an alternative government in the forthcoming General Election  The Parties-have agreed t at they should form a National Coalition Government on the basis of agreed policy and priorities.  The Parties are convinced that in the present climate of national crisis, both political and economic it is necessary to give the people a clear democratic choice between the outgoing government and an entirely new government committed to democratic processes, economic developments and social reforms.  There has not been a change of government in this country for sixteen years In the last general Election Final Fail was returned to power with one of the biggest majorities ever. Since then the Taoiseach has lost his majority through-successive successive sackings and resignations from his Cabinet and expulsions from his party It is entirely his fault that he no longer has the mandate to govern and that he ha rushed the country into a General Election in such haste as to deprive young people of their newly given rights to vote There is reason to believe that he would be any more successful if ranted a further mandate.  In these circumstances the only guarantee of strong, stable government capable of dealing with the nation's problems is a National Coalition Government.  PROTECTING THE INDIVIDUAL  I The Parties assert as a first responsibility the need` to protect the liberty and safety of the individual citizen and to uphold the democratic institutions of our state.  PEACE THROUGH JUSTICE  The two parties also recognise a particular duty to promote a peaceful solution in the North which will bring an end to bloodshed, injustice and sectarian divisions. Accordingly, they pledge themselves to endeavour to secure both these objectives.  STOPPING THE PRICE RISE  The tragic events in the North have clouded the fact that the economy is in serious trouble because of the indecisiveness of a government distracted by its own internal difficulties.  The immediate economic aims of the new government will be to stabilise prices, halt redundancies and reduce unemployment under a programme of planned economic development It is essential to control prices if these important economic aims are to be realised. The government will therefore immediately introduce strict price control, as an earnest of its good faith in regard to the control of price the Government will remove VAT from food  The Government will regard the control of price inflation as indispensable to the continuance of the National Agreements: The two parties are convinced that voluntary wage agreements reached on a national level are the best basis for economic development, stability and growth in jobs.  As an integral part of its economic and industrial relations policy the new Government will introduce worker participation in State enterprises) and the election of worker representatives to State Boards.  SOCIAL REFORM  The elimination of poverty and the ending of social injustice will be a major priority in the next Government's programme. It is conservatively estimated that under Fianna Fail a quarter of our people live in poverty.  The social policy of the new government will bring immediate assistance to those in needs and lay the foundations of long term policy that will room them out the causes of low incomes bad housing and poor educational facilities. Special legislation will be passed to deal with the plight of the aged, deprived children, the widowed, orphaned, and deserted and the physically and mentally handicapped.  The money saved as a result of EEC membership will be applied by the new Government to a radical improvement of pensions and social benefits such as the payment of old age pensions am an earlier age without a means test to both mesa do women.  A central feature of this social policy will be a complete reform of the system of financing social services through then introduction of a comprehensive social security system covering all citizens.  HOUSING EMERGENCY  The declaration of a housing emergency will be made immediately by the National Coalition Government. Housing output will be increased to 25,000 a year. The Fianna Fail creamed shortage of dwellings will also 10 be tackled by providing incentives to secure the fuller utilisation of existing houses. Speculation in building land will be ended in order to lower the cost of houses.  RENTS, RATES AND TAXES.  The unjust aspects of differential rents will be removed and a fair national i0 system of tenant purchase will be introduced.  Rates will be reduced drastically by transferring health charges and housing subsidies to central taxation and will be replaced progressively by a form of taxation related to the ability of persons to pay.  With a view to relieving the heavy and unjust burden on ordinary house purchasers and farmers; the National Coalition Government will abolish estate duties on property passing on death to widows and their children and replace them with taxation confined to the really wealthy and to property passing on death outside the immediate family.  FARMERS AND FISHERMEN  A Small farmers will be helped by curbing non-farmer speculation in agricultural land: a vigorous land reclamation programme encouragement of long term leasing of land( and low interest loans. The government will plan greater investment in harbours and fisheries in order that our fishermen will gem the maximum advantage out of the opportunities offered in the EEC.  LOCAL DEMOCRACY  The National Coalition Government will hold it as a priority at all that all times that power must be vested in the people sand that local government must be made truly democratic and relevant to their needs. This is particularly necessary is the field of planning. Socially harmful property speculation and development will be ended by setting up independent machinery to deal with planning applications and appeals.  EDUCATION  In education, genuine consultation with parents, school authorities, teachers a and students. will be introduced. Authority for examinations and courses f will be transferred to an independent educational body. The policy of selective compulsion that has proved so disastrous for the Irish language over the last fifty years will be replaced by a genuine policy based on respect for and promotion of the Irish language and culture.  STATUS OF WOMEN  Legislation will be introduced to end all forms of existing discrimination against women.  BROADCASTING  The review of the television and broadcasting services will be speeded upland a special examination made as a matter of urgency of such matters as second TV channel, local radio (and the provision of piped television and get back on the road to progress.  EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES  The National Coalition Government will pledge itself to maximising Ireland's influence within the European Community to democratising its institutions and to the securing of a regional development policy that will assist Irish agriculture land our western and other neglected underdeveloped regions.  A NEW BEGINNING  the two parties recognise that these policy priorities constitute the basis of the legislative programme of the National Coalition Government and that the implementation of these proposals will transform Ireland into a modern progressive society based on social justice.