Author: Andrew

Fianna Fáil: Disaster 5 years ago, disarray today – Doyle

Andrew 2015, Environment, Finance, Jobs Enterprise Innovation, Tourism, Wicklow - East Carlow

Fine Gael TD for Wicklow/East Carlow, Andrew Doyle, said today (Friday 20th November) the final act of the last Fianna Fáil Government was to lead the Irish people into a bailout and the country to a financial abyss. Mr. Doyle was speaking on the eve of the five year anniversary of the last Fianna Fáil Government’s confirmation that Ireland was to enter a bailout programme.

“It is understandable that Fianna Fáil confirmed this week they had no interest in being in Government after the next election, considering the state they left the country in the last time they were in office.

“Five years ago today on an icy winter evening, Fianna Fáil confirmed Ireland’s entry into a bailout programme, after years of chronic mismanagement of the economy and weeks of bailout denial.

“It was a desperate end to a disastrous Government.

“Thankfully now, once again, we can look to the future with optimism

“New figures this week confirmed that over 135,000 new jobs have been added to the economy since the launch of the Action Plan for Jobs. Unemployment is now at 8.9%, the lowest since 2008.

“Fine Gael has a plan to finish the job by building a strong economy which will generate the resources to invest in the services that people depend on. After the next election Ireland needs a Government that can be trusted to keep the recovery going. That means having a plan to create more jobs and keep the economy strong.

“Instead of learning from experience Fianna Fáil wasted four and a half years in opposition taking populist and self-interested positions and failing to outline any alternative policies. Astonishingly they have no jobs policy.

“It’s the same old Fianna Fáil, putting their own interests ahead of those of the country.

“It’s the same old Fianna Fianna Fáil, which led us to the brink of disaster five years ago.”

 

ENDS

National unemployment rate at 8.9% and unemployment down 38.86% in Mid East Region – Doyle

Andrew 2015, Jobs Enterprise Innovation, Wicklow - East Carlow

Latest QHNS figures from CSO show 12,900 back to work in Mid East Region

“The latest QHNS figures, released by the CSO, show that the national unemployment rate has dropped to 8.9% and in Mid East Region there has been a 38.86% drop in the number of people who are unemployed”, says Andrew Doyle, Fine Gael TD, Wicklow/Carlow East

“Jobs have grown in all 8 regions since the Action Plan for Jobs was launched in 2012, with the strongest percentage increases not in Dublin or Cork but in regional Ireland.

“In total 135,800 extra jobs have been added to the economy since 2012 and most encouragingly, growth is strongest in regional areas.

“It is time that opposition parties, intent on running down rural Ireland, accept that the recovery is underway. While more needs to be done to ensure that everyone feels its benefit, there can be no doubt that real progress has been made.

“The number of long-term unemployed nationally has declined from 204,300 when the Acton Plan was launched to 109,800 today, a decrease of 46%. With the number of people emigrating also falling, this is extremely positive.

“Keeping the recovery going is Fine Gael’s top priority and we want to do this by creating jobs and reducing taxes for those who are at work.

“Less tax on work encourages jobs growth, creates more revenue for the exchequer and results in more money to invest in services.

“These figures confirm that the trend of growth is deepening and broadening across the country. The recovery is underway and with specific plans in place to drive job creation in regional areas, I am confident that we will see further sustainable growth in Wicklow”

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