‘Mad as hell’ journalist stokes huge petition drive

Fintan O'Toole's ‘Enough is Enough’ catches on

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Image from the book cover of Fintan O'Toole's "Enough is Enough"

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Two days ago Irish Times columnist, Fintan O'Toole, launched an online petition to show that the Irish public will not support any candidate who does not commit to radical reform.

The petition has already received thousands of signatures and is gaining momentum by the hour, with Mr. O'Toole tweeting that "the petition is flying...We need 100,000 to really make it count."

The ten point plan that O'Toole is encouraging people to sign is a simplified summary of the ‘Fifty Ideas For Action’ in his new book "Enough Is Enough; How to Build a New Republic" and is set out on www.fintanotoole.ie.

"1. SHARE THE PAIN
No one paid from the public purse should earn more than €100,000 during the period of the emergency.

2. PUT THE PARISH PUMP BACK IN THE PARISH
Real local democracy, paid for by local taxes, and using direct democracy at every level, must be established.

3. END CLIENTILISM
Change the electoral system that turns TDs into constituency fixers. Replace it with a mix of direct election and a list system similar to that used for the Scottish parliament.

4. CUT THE FAT
Reduce the Dail to 100 members. Either transform the Senate within 12 months into a genuine forum for civic society or abolish it.

5. MAKE PARLIAMENT WORK.
Stop the use of the guillotine system to pass laws that have not been scrutinised. Give Dail committees the powers to examine proposals for spending before it happens and to hold those who spend public money accountable. Make senior public servants responsible for their decisions and actions.

6. BRING WOMEN INTO POLITICS
Cut public subsidies to political parties unless at least 30 per cent of their candidates are female.

7. END IMPUNITY
Conduct an urgent review of company law to ensure that white collar criminals are brought to justice.

8. GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS
Ban all significant private donations to political parties. Make parties publish annual accounts. Register and control lobbyists. Protect whistleblowers.

9. RESTORE THE RIGHT TO KNOW
Bring back the original Freedom of Information Act.

10. NO MORE CRONYISM
Make all appointments to State and public bodies open to public competition and Dail scrutiny. Ban any individual from being a director of more than three companies or public bodies."

The online petition follows a march that took place on Saturday to demonstrate opposition to the government's austerity plan, organized by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU).

O'Toole addressed the crowd of approximately 50,000 people outside Dublin's GPO, after they marched from Wood Quay, crossing Ormond Quay and down Bachelor's walk.

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