FF job plan still MIA while Govt pro-growth policies result in drop in Live Register – Corcoran Kennedy

“Fianna Fáil’s elusive jobs policy is still missing in action. The long promised policy is nowhere to be seen, as the party’s TDs concentrate on negative campaigning and trying to rewrite history”, says Chairperson of the Oireachtas Jobs Committee and Fine Gael TD for Laois/Offaly, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy.

“The pro-jobs and pro-growth policies being pursued by this Government continue to result in a fall in the number of people signing on the Live Register. And still, after more than four years in opposition, Fianna Fáil has yet to come up with one proactive idea in relation to job creation. Their only economic policy is to maintain the high tax rates on ordinary workers.

“In the time that Fianna Fáil has been ‘working on’ its jobs policy, this Government has created over 100,000 jobs, we are dismantling Fianna Fáil’s high tax rates through reduced income tax and USC and we are well on our way to achieving full employment by 2018.

“This month the number of people signing on the Live Register has dropped again and over the past year there has been a steady fall in the number of long term claimants, as well as a reduction in the number of people under 25 signing on.

“In Government Fianna Fáil cut the Carer’s Allowance – twice; cut the Disability Allowance – twice; FF cut the Blind Pension – twice; cut the Widow’s Pension – twice; cut the Invalidity Pension – twice; and abolished the Christmas bonus. In opposition, the party has offered nothing new.

“This Government has a plan and that plan is working. The steady drop in unemployment is testament to this.”