Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Sinn Féin is the only party in the House that is implementing austerity measures this year. To name but two such measures it has introduced in the North, teacher numbers are being reduced by more than 2,000 and welfare benefits are being cut. Meanwhile, in the South the party expects people to believe the populist fantasy that one can have unlimited public spending while abolishing all charges and taking virtually everyone out of the tax net. It is no wonder Sinn Féin wants to avoid a rational debate about budget choices.

We learned the hard way that sustainable public finances are a prerequisite for genuine improvements in living standards. We have Fianna Fáil to thank for that particular harsh lesson. The Government will not put recovery at risk with reckless and unreal spending and tax plans. Our effective and progressive alternative to Fianna Fáil boom and bust policies and Sinn Féin's populist fantasy has brought us to the point where we will have had the fastest growing economy in the European Union this year and last year; we have experienced nine successive quarters of job growth; 95,000 new jobs have been created since 2012; unemployment, while still much too high, has declined to 10% from more than 15% in 2012; we are witnessing the return of apprenticeships and skilled jobs across the economy; and we can look forward to seeing 2.1 million in work by the end of 2018. These achievements by Irish people have created the conditions for a recovery in incomes and public expenditure. This is the basis on which we can make realistic and progressive taxation and expenditure decisions that will cement and extend the recovery over the coming years.

I propose to refer to some of the issues raised by previous speakers, including Deputy Colreavy for whom I genuinely have a great deal of respect. The Deputy made my point for me. When I entered the Chamber he stated that, having studied the statistics presented in the spring statement, his party took the view that the assumptions contained therein were wrong. That is fine. Sinn Féin now has six months to tell us what should be the correct assumptions. I look forward to hearing it set out the reasons the Government is wrong in respect of its parameter statements on the deficit, employment and debt projections. The party now has six long months to show us where we are wrong in respect of all the basic assumptions and I look forward to hearing what are the correct figures because we have heard precious little from it in that regard.

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