Education
The main goal is to ensure that all school buildings meet modern standards. Other priorities include: expand the number of higher education places; a second phase to the IT2000 programme; targeting additional teachers and funding to tackle disadvantage.
The environment
The main proposals include the introduction of a National Greenhouse Gas Abatement Strategy, a policy statement on recycling and legislation on GMO's at national and EU level.
Enterprise
Government's priorities to include the appointment of a single Regulator for the financial services sector; the establishment of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement; the enactment of legislation to allow for the implementation of the national minimum wage with effect from April 2000; and, the extension of the employment action plan to cover all adult unemployed by mid-2000.
Science, technology and innovation
Priorities include a new programme of investment in RTI; strengthen the research capability in the third-level and State research institutions; and provide substantial public investment in the niche technologies.
Agriculture and food
Promising to defend vigorously the Agenda 2000 Agreement in the next round of WTO and to support the re-orientation of our agricultural and food research, training and advisory services in line with Teagasc 2000. Commitment also to establish independent agency to administer FEOGA and other payments to farmers.
Abortion
To carry forward the process of informed debate, following the submission of the Green Paper on Abortion to the all-party Oireachtas committee with a view to clarifying within a reasonable period the options for decision and action.
Housing
Among the housing priorities, reform the Capital Acquisitions Tax regime so that the impact of rising house prices does not place an intolerable burden on those inheriting the family home.
Fully implement the Service Land Initiative which will yield 100,000 sites by end 2000.
Create a dynamic housing market capable of turning out 50,000 new homes every year to keep pace with the rapid rate of economic growth.
Promote strategic development of locations outside Dublin as an economically self-sustaining basis to restrain demand in Dublin.
Closely maintain the effectiveness of measures to achieve price stabilisation and balance in the housing market and fine tune them, as appropriate.
Promote increased output from the voluntary housing sector to supplement a significantly increased local authority house building programme of 22,000 dwellings over the next 4 years.
Transport
Dublin Taxis
Introduction of measures to increase progressively the number of taxi licences in Dublin as quickly as possible in order to ensure a proper balance between supply and demand in the market.
Human rights & legal reform
Asylum policy
Continue to streamline asylum applications system so that we preserve the integrity of the asylum process and that it operates fairly and efficiently in line with our obligations under international law.
Implement the Immigration Act, 1999, as a matter of priority, including appointment of Refugee Commissioner.
Develop a co-ordinated resettlement programme to ensure that refugees and persons granted humanitarian leave to remain in the State are quickly integrated into Irish society.
Implement the findings of a study on refugee resettlement policies in Ireland.
Electoral reform
Both parties will advance the process of electoral reform during the lifetime of this Government. In doing so, our objective will be to devise a system which will be seen to be proportionate, representative and fair to all and which will operate in a manner which will enable TDs to more effectively fulfil their role as legislators.
Party leaders allowance
We will introduce a mandatory external audit for the Party Leaders' accounts which will be submitted to the Public Office Commission.
The accounts will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.
Provisions will also be brought forward in agreement with opposition leaders limiting the use to which the allowance can be put.
Defence
The Government is to publish a White Paper on Defence later this year.
International and European affairs
Ireland to play an active and constructive role as a member of the European Union in fostering peace, human rights, and development.
Within the EU, commitment to ensure that in the institutional changes and reforms to accommodate an enlarged Union, Ireland retains a distinctive voice in all the institutions. The Government, reflecting the popular commitment to aid to developing countries, committed to continued substantial volume increases each year in the aid budget.
Commitment to conclude the proposal before the Dail to participate in Partnership for Peace, without prejudice to our military neutrality or the values that inform our foreign policy, in order to enhance our peacekeeping capacity in Europe, where we are already part of the SFOR and KFOR missions in Bosnia and Kosovo respectively.