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