Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Richard Bruton Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie
Delivered

Bruton: We've done exactly what voters asked us to do

The Jobs Minister is confident the government parties will increase their popularity ahead of the general election.

RICHARD BRUTON BELIEVES the government will have a strong case to say it did exactly what voters asked of them when the country goes the polls at the next general election.

The Jobs Minister mounted a strong defence of the Fine Gael/Labour government’s policies in the four years since it was elected despite continuing poor poll numbers.

Despite new figures showing that over 1,000 jobs a week are being created and a further jobs boost from the consulting firm Deloitte today the good economic news has not translated into improved poll numbers for the two government parties.

The most recent B&A poll in the Sunday Times put Fine Gael on 27% support with Labour in just 6%, well short of what the two parties will need to be returned to government when the country votes before next April.

“Ultimately we will put a very strong case to the people that we have done exactly what we were asked to do,” Bruton told reporters in Dublin today .

We’ve taken an economy which was on its knees, where public services were in a state of collapse, where emigration was huge, unemployment was huge and we’ve taken people on a journey and we can now set targets for the future.

He said these included reaching full employment by 2018, spending €15 billion extra in communities and using €6 billion extra in revenue for the exchequer to build new services.

“I think we always knew when we were elected that this was a journey. We came from a situation where 300,000 people has lost their jobs, unemployment was at 15 per cent and we’ve been on a very difficult transition,” he said.

The Fine Gael TD insisted this would be the story that people will reflect on when it comes to an election “that’s still a very significant distance off”.

“I think people are not focussing on that yet and there is a lot of hurt around and I understand that, I meet it everyday,” he added.

Read: 400 jobs on the way as Deloitte says it’s hiring

Read: The latest job numbers are pretty good news for these two

Your Voice
Readers Comments
169
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.