Fianna Fáil, the party that destroyed 300,000 jobs, still has no jobs plan – English

“Fianna Fáil, the party that destroyed 300,000 jobs, still has no job creation plan”, according to Damien English, Fine Gael TD for Meath West and Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.

“Over 135,000 new jobs have been added to the economy since the launch of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs, and we are in the process of reducing the high tax burden that Fianna Fáil introduced to pay for their mistakes.

“Unemployment has decreased for nine quarters in a row and now stands at 8.9%; the first time it has dropped below 9% since 2008, when the crash occurred.

“Now that the economic recovery has been secured, Fine Gael has a plan to keep the recovery going and ensure that everyone can feel the benefit. Crucial to this is continued job creation. More people in work creates the resources to cut taxes for working people and invest in better services, improving living standards for all.

“This is not just a Dublin based recovery; every region is experiencing an uplift. Our Regional Action Plans for Jobs are designed to increase employment in every region by 10-15% between now and 2020.

“By contrast, instead of learning from the experience of the economic crash, Fianna Fáil wasted four and a half years in opposition. The party that destroyed 300,000 jobs still has no job creation policy.

“The last time Fine Gael and Labour were in Government together, we left behind a lean export-led economy that was creating employment. We have been working hard to recreate this over the last five years. We cannot go back to the same old Fianna Fáil who wrecked the economy, have learned nothing from the past and are still the high tax party. Trust us to finish the job and replace all the jobs lost in the crash and ensure a better quality of life for all as a result.”