Unemployment continues to fall; Public Finances set for a period of stability – Minister Coffey

Fine Gael Waterford Minister Paudie Coffey has said that unemployment continued to fall in December and showed that the national unemployment rate now stands at 8.8%; the lowest level in 7 years.  Minister Coffey said that this was a sign of real progress in the economy and it was backed up the publication of the 2015 exchequer returns that showed the Country had run a balanced budget for the year; for the first time in 8 years.

“When Fine Gael came to power in 2011 unemployment was spiralling out of control; the country was left in a position by Fianna Fail that we were spending €20 billion more than what we taking in.  Our Economy had gone bust due to the economic incompetence of Fianna Fail; in fact they were so incompetent in running the Country; they ended up losing our economic sovereignty. 

“This was the scale of the mess that Fine Gael had to clean-up and over the last number of years; we have restored Ireland’s economic sovereignty; created thousands of jobs; returned Ireland to being the fastest growing economy in Europe; removed 700,000 people from paying the USC and reduced tax on work.

“In Waterford we have over the last number of years seen the creation of thousands of jobs in our City and County in companies like; Eishtec, Eirgen Pharma, West Pharma, NearForm, Agora, Nypro Pharma, Sun Life Financial, Tech Mahindra, Glanbia, FeedHenry, Bausch & Lomb, Genzyme, Dawn Meats, Smartply, Shivo, Evros, Flahavins, CGM, Rigney Dolphin, Morgan McKinley and Bluefin.

“Fine Gael has the economic plan to deliver a stable economy to ensure that the recovery is felt in every home.  We are committed to seeing the Universal Social Charge Abolished over the course of the next Dail and returning Ireland to Full Employment if we are re-elected to government in the coming weeks.”

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