Pearse ‘Money no issue’ Doherty would plunge our economy into darkness – Donohoe

Sinn Féin’s cavalier attitude towards public money should send a warning shot across the bow for voters ahead of Friday’s General Election, Minister Paschal Donohoe has said.

Minister Donohoe said Pearse Doherty’s attitude towards taxpayers’ money did little to assure anyone casting their ballot paper that a vote for Sinn Féin is a vote to secure the foundations which are in place in the Irish economy. Quite the opposite.

Minister Paschal Donohoe said:

“By saying that ‘money is no issue’, on this morning’s debate on the Claire Byrne Show, Pearse Doherty underscored once again that Sinn Féin, if voted into Government, will blow everything that every worker and taxpayer in this country has contributed to our secure economy.

“On one hand, they want to build up our resources, while on the other hand they said they want to spend them. So which is it? What are Sinn Féin actually saying? At a time when we will need insurance policies, at a time when we will need safety nets to let our country rise up again if we face into challenges, Sinn Féin gives no assurance that they would do the same.

“Sinn Féin plan to spend over €70 billion, as opposed to Fine Gael’s plans to spend €50 billion. That’s a very big difference in the spending commitments being made.

“Fine Gael, if re-elected to Government, will not spend every cent that is available to us. We are the party who set up National Reserve fund that has led to the creation of two new funds. We have consistently valued the public purse through nine different budgets, which enabled us to sustain ourselves during a pandemic and continues to enable us to deal with the cost of living.

“With much change taking place around the world, we’ve been reminded again about the cost of instability. The best way that Ireland can navigate the challenges that could lie ahead is by having stable government. Fine Gael is making the case again to the people of Ireland to continue the progress that we want to make, by building more homes, investing in our public services, making changes to childcare. We have to have a stable economy with healthy public finances that can fund all of this.

“Sinn Féin has reminded us once again this morning the risks they want us to take. When you promise everything, you stand for nothing and our economy would be plunged into darkness with Sinn Féin in government.”