“The core of this budget should have concentrated on these real challenges

FINE GAEL CONSISTENTLY WARNED OF MISMANAGEMENT Comments by Richard Bruton TD: “There is a worrying complacency in Government about our enterprise sector. In the last four years, employment in the exposed sector of our economy has been in decline. The rate of job loss has been more than double the rate of the mid nineties, continuous job growth has depended on the sheltered sectors of the economy, most noticeably the building and construction sector…Dramatic acceleration in the growth of public service employment and payroll costs, have forced up taxation meanwhile, the average price of exporters since May 2002 has fallen by 15%. .. It is not enough to live off past successes and ignore the emerging challenges.” stBudget 2005 (1 December 2004) “The core of this budget should have concentrated on these real challenges. • Reform to deliver real improvements at the front line in public services • Improving the competitiveness of businesses trying to survive in tough external markets • Confronting rip off at its source • Eliminating gross waste in public spending thBut these have not been the subject of today’s budget.” Budget 2006 (7 December 2005) “This is the latest in a series of budgets whose pattern was set by the huge spending spree… • Government spending has grown 50% faster than the rate of growth in national income • Government has doubled its dependence on a construction boom which now ...