Fianna Fáil fail yet again to outline how they will fund their €4.35bn ‘Spending for All’ calls – Burke

Fianna Fáil have yet again failed to explain how they will pay for their raft of spending calls – proving their ‘Spending for All’ approach is based in fantasy, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Longford Westmeath TD, Peter Burke, said the response of Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin to a report compiled by him into spending demands by the opposition party shows they have no answer to the charge that they would put the country on the path to ruin again with their reckless approach.

Deputy Burke, a chartered accountant, said:

“Fianna Fáil has been quick to criticise the report and our decision to compile it, but not one of their TDs – including party leader Micheál Martin – have been able to explain how they plan to fund their exorbitant spending calls.

“The numbers are clear for everyone to see. The party has called for at least €4.35bn spending in just six months – a whopping €24m per day.

“Yet faced with the figures, it is clear Fianna Fáil has no answer as to how this math adds up – quite simply because it doesn’t. Instead their leader resorts to childish insults.

“Micheál Martin has made a General Election contingent on Brexit and wants to be back in power. The public deserve to know how Fianna Fáil will use taxpayers’ finances to meet all their demands for the first half of 2019.

“Their approach is to simply make an endless list of demands for funding without any thought of how the taxpayer will pay for it. It is reckless.

“We have seen this play out before and it’s clear that, despite what they might like voters to believe, absolutely nothing has changed in Fianna Fáil.”

Deputy Burke continued: “Fianna Fáil are clearly intent on returning to power at all costs and are willing to make empty promises to voters to get there. This is irresponsible and cynical politics at a time when we need more than ever to see politics at its best.

“How we navigate the economy throughout Brexit will have a real and lasting impact on people across this island – now is the time for a steady and considered approach to managing the public finances, something Fine Gael has prioritised during our time in Government.

“By contrast it seems Fianna Fáil are continuing their tried and tested approach of talking out of both sides of their mouth on economic management. But the question remains – just how will Fianna Fáil finance their lavish spending calls?”