File:FG sets out extensive plan to tackle jobs crisis & rebuild economy (5413354886).jpg

Are we just rearranging the deck-chairs on the titanic

This morning I attended my first Fine Gael press conference. For some strange reason Fine Gael have decided to use orange tinted lights so all of the photographs that I took had a yellow hue … I have tried to adjust the white balance to compensate.

We are in the early stages of the campaign and already I am becoming somewhat depressed because it would appear that none of the parties are offering the sort of radical solutions that we need and I don't understand why they are all latching onto "clouding computing" as a solution. In the context of our overpowering economic crisis I really wonder what problem is solved by cloud computing? [Note: The Streets Of Dublin employs cloud computing]

Maybe Ireland's current economic problem has no solution and we are just undertaking a pointless exercise similar to rearranging the deck-chairs on the titanic. That is a horrible thought.

Fine Gael National Press Office Press Statement by: Richard Bruton & Leo Varadkar

Thursday 3rd February 2011

FG sets out extensive plan to tackle jobs crisis & rebuild economy – Bruton & Varadkar

Fine Gael Leader Enda Kenny has today (Thursday) launched Working for Our Future, the Party’s plans to create tens of thousands of new jobs over five years. The plan was prepared by the Fine Gael Enterprise, Jobs & Economic Planning Spokesman Richard Bruton and Communications, Energy & Natural Resources Spokesman Leo Varadkar.

Speaking at the launch, Deputy Bruton said: ‘Fine Gael’s jobs plan, Working for Our Future, is based on keeping people in work within Ireland, making it easier to start up new businesses, making Ireland a better place to do business, and helping more Irish businesses to look beyond our borders and sell on a global scale’.

Deputy Varadkar said: ‘The only strategy that can, and will work is a hard-headed political strategy. This will involve an investment plan which doesn’t rely on borrowing and taxation. Our revised NewERA plan will invest an additional €7 billion in revenue generating infrastructure like energy, broadband, and water’.

Key points

· Competitiveness: no direct tax hikes on jobs or enterprise; no income tax hikes, including PRSI and USC; employment law will be consolidated; consider a single business tax for micro businesses; simplify tax registration for start-ups; maintain the 12.5% corporation tax rate, cut the Jobs Tax (employers’ PRSI) for the lower paid; cut VAT in labour-intensive sectors of the economy like construction, hospitality, hairdressing, and newspapers. · Building a modern economy: NewERA will invest €7 billion from NPRF and sale of State assets in water, broadband and energy, lowering business costs and improving competitiveness. · Youth unemployment: 45,000 placements including National Internship Programme places in private and voluntary sectors; Second Chance Education for former retail & construction workers who did not complete their education; new opportunities for apprentices. · Reduce business costs: slash €500M worth of red tape, tackle closed sectors like transport, medical, waste & legal services; address out-of-date pay structures in certain sectors; support start-ups by simplifying tax registration. · Boost exporting companies: tax credits to multinational companies which support exporting Irish companies; service companies that export more than 90% of their output will be VAT exempt; a new Asia Strategy to treble trade between Ireland and Asia by 2025.

Deputy Bruton & Varadkar said: ‘Fine Gael is the only political party to put forward a comprehensive jobs and growth policy of this nature. The Labour party seems to think that extending austerity to 2016 will bring about higher growth. It won’t. The outgoing Fianna Fáil/Green Government has produced nothing but vague plans with woolly targets. Fianna Fáil’s constant attacks on Fine Gael policies are only an attempt to cover up the lack of any credible jobs plan from the Government’.