Sinn Féin candidate for the Thomastown Electoral Area, Jamie Roche has said the exchequer figures, which outline a €2.3 billion shortfall in comparison to the same period last year, is a public finance crisis that cannot continue to go unchallenged.
Ireland needs an alternative government,” Mr Roche said. “The exchequer figures are sobering. The public finances continue to freefall and the government has still not delivered a real plan on how it intends to reverse this trend. Sinn Féin supports the call for a new budget but let’s face facts, what we really need is a new administration at the helm.
“And let’s not kid ourselves that the economy would be in better hands with Fine Gael in government. Their economic model, like the governments, is without vision or purpose. They, like the government, have no strategy, no purpose, and no vision for getting Ireland back to work.
“In government Sinn Féin’s focus would be on keeping existing jobs and in tandem delivering a three year job creation strategy. We would target those sectors of the economy where growth is possible such as agri-food, research and development and green technology.
“The government is set to pump €7 billion from the National Pension Reserve Fund into AIB and Bank of Ireland. Yet it refuses to initiate a school building programme to take our children out of dilapidated prefab building and into fully resourced school buildings. In government Sinn Féin would this money to frontload critical infrastructure projects such as a school building programme.
“Ireland needs a political alternative. With Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s combined support in the most recent poll at just 53 per cent Sinn Féin is obviously not alone in this view. It is time for a government that’s sees economic prosperity and social responsibility as the ultimate benchmark of its success. Sinn Féin wants to be part of such an alternative.”
