This new political party was launched in March 2015. Former Fine Gael TD and Minister of State for Europe Lucinda Creighton is leader. Other Fine Gael defectors – TDs Billy Timmins and Terence Flanagan, along with Senator Paul Bradford (Ms Creighton's husband) – are also founding members.
Prior to the party's launch, Renua used the slogan "Reboot Ireland". The party's president is "consumer affairs guru" Eddie Hobbs, who is not contesting Election 2016. Mr Hobbs' dithering over whether he would run for election contributed to the party's shaky start. A number of potential candidates defecting has not helped the party.
But there was a positive mood at the party's slick campaign launch on 4 January. Ms Creighton says her party can fill the role of a junior "watchdog" in a coalition government. The party has pledged a flat tax of 23%, with a system of graduated payments to those earning less than €70,000. The party wants to reduce the number of tax rates, which Ms Creighton describes as anti-competitive, anti-business and anti-jobs.
Renua is planning to run 18 candidates in the election.
Leader profile: Lucinda Creighton is the youngest party leader running in the General Election but she is very experienced politically. As the former Fine Gael Minister of State for European Affairs, she was a well-established player on the European stage during the EU's biggest economic crisis. Read the full profile here.
By Conor McMorrow, RTÉ's Political Staff
