THE COALITION yesterday attacked Fine Gael’s NewEra jobs plan, but the main Opposition party has responded by condemning the Government’s record on job creation.
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan said in a statement yesterday that the good elements in the Fine Gael plan such as developing renewable energy, building a smart grid and rolling out electric vehicles were in the 2007 programme for government.
“Not only are they Government policy, they are being implemented on a daily basis across Government and the semi-State sector,” said Mr Ryan.
He said Government policy had brought about costed and announced investment plans of over €30 billion in green energy. Investment in broadband from providers and Government stood at over €1.5 billion since 2007.
“We have already surpassed our renewable energy target for 2010. Energy prices in gas and electricity have reduced by over 25 per cent in the past two years. We are converging on the European average and in many categories, such as the domestic and SME market, we are now lower than the EU average,” said Mr Ryan.
“This is the new economy, not on paper in an unsubstantiated dream, but in action – every day all over Ireland,” he said.
Limerick Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins also attacked the Fine Gael plan, saying the party was not sure how much it could raise from selling off State assets such as ESB and Bord Gais or whether it could secure the required funds from the European Investment Bank.
“Despite having launched their NewEra strategy three times amidst much fanfare, it seems that Fine Gael is still not clear on the finer details,” said Mr Collins.
Fine Gael enterprise spokesman Leo Varadkar said the Government’s attacks would be laughable if their non-existent jobs strategy was not so damaging for the 439,100 people signing on.
“While these attacks may distract some people from the Government’s own dismal failures, Fine Gael is determined to see our plans to overhaul our economy implemented as quickly as possible,” he said.
Mr Varadkar said the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives had been destroyed by unemployment deserved a government with a vision for the future.
