Leader John Leahy Founded 13 March 2015 Dáil Éireann 0 / 158 | Chairperson Michael O'Dowd Colours Yellow | |
Political position Centre-right to
Right-wing | ||
Renua Ireland, commonly called Renua, is a political party in Ireland. The party was launched on 13 March 2015, with former Fine Gael TD Lucinda Creighton as founding leader. Prior to its launch it had used the slogan Reboot Ireland. The name Renua is intended to suggest both the English Renew and the Irish Ré Nua "New Era". Following the vacancy created by Creighton's resignation after the 2016 general election, John Leahy was selected as leader at the party's AGM in September 2016.
Contents
Reform Alliance
After the 2011 general election a Fine Gael–Labour coalition government was formed. Lucinda Creighton of Fine Gael was appointed Minister of State for European Affairs. In 2013 Creighton defied the party whip on anti-abortion grounds to oppose the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill. Creighton and others were as a consequence expelled from the Fine Gael parliamentary party; they formed a loose alliance called the Reform Alliance. Some TDs continued as ordinary members of Fine Gael, while others left the party completely.
Reboot Ireland
The forthcoming launch of a new political party was announced at a press conference on 2 January 2015 held by Creighton, Eddie Hobbs, a financial advisor and broadcaster, and John Leahy, an independent member of Offaly County Council. Shane Ross, an independent who had concurrently proposed a new alliance of independents, said he would not be involved in the new party, which was given a temporary name of Reboot Ireland.
Foundation of Renua Ireland
The new party was launched on Friday 13 March 2015 in Dublin, followed by media appearances by its leading members. Creighton and party president Eddie Hobbs appeared on RTÉ's The Late Late Show to explain their policies. Hobbs denied he was planning to stand for election, although the party's website claimed that he would be a candidate.
Its elected representatives on its foundation were TDs Lucinda Creighton, Billy Timmins and Terence Flanagan, Senators Paul Bradford and Mary Ann O'Brien, and Councillors John Leahy (Offaly) and Ronan McMahon. O'Brien, a Taoiseach's nominee to the Seanad, stated that she would not join the party until the general election campaign. Financial advisor Eddie Hobbs was announced as party president, and later announced that he would not stand for election.
Later recruits included councillors Patrick McKee (Kilkenny, elected for Fianna Fáil), James Charity (Galway, elected as an Independent), Frank Durkan (Mayo, elected as an Independent), and Keith Redmond (Fingal, elected for Fine Gael). Charity, who had joined on 20 May 2015, left Renua on 30 July. Journalist John Drennan joined as the party's director of communications and political strategy.
On 22 May 2015 the first Renua Ireland candidate to face election was Patrick McKee in the Carlow–Kilkenny by-election. He finished fourth, with 9.5% of the first-preference vote.
Although the Irish abortion debate was what precipitated Creighton's defection from Fine Gael, the party did not take a position on the issue and will allow members a free vote on it.
2016 general election
The party had hoped to run between 50 and 60 candidates in the 2016 general election, with at least one in each Dáil constituency.
In January 2016 Renua announced a list of 18 candidates and published a manifesto. The main points of the manifesto included a flat personal tax rate of 23%, and a three-strikes law which would require mandatory life sentences on a third conviction for serious crimes. The flat tax rate was criticised by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and described by Labour's Kevin Humphreys as "too right-wing for Donald Trump".
At close of nominations, 26 candidates were standing for the party at the 2016 general election.
At the 2016 general election incumbent TDs Billy Timmins, Terence Flanagan and party leader Lucinda Creighton all lost their seats, leaving Renua with no representation in the Dáil. Nevertheless, the party won over 2% of first-preference votes, which means that it will be entitled to a quarter of a million euro of annual state funding for the duration of the next government. Following the defeat, Creighton insisted that Renua would continue and would field candidates for the next local elections in 2019.
Aftermath
On 14 May 2016, in the aftermath of the general election and following the formation of the new government, Creighton resigned as leader of Renua. Deputy Leader Billy Timmins had already resigned, and president Eddie Hobbs resigned from the party in June.
At the party's AGM in September 2016, John Leahy, an Offaly County Councillor, was selected as party leader, and businesswoman Mailo Power was elected as party president.
In November 2016, Mailo Power resigned from the position of party president and from the party.
By December 2016, Councillors Patrick McKee and Keith Redmond had both resigned from the party, leaving its leader, John Leahy, and Ronan McMahon, a councillor in South Dublin County Council, as its only elected representatives.
Policies
Renua has a policy programme published in addition to its election manifesto of 2016. It claims policies are centred around an evidence-based approach regardless of where that policy may be viewed ideologically. It cites proposals for State-funded community childcare schemes, capping state pensions at €100,000, and replacing defined-benefit pensions with defined-contribution pensions as examples.