Donegal Teachta views new report as a 'missed opportunity' to deliver a fair recovery plan

A new Government report published by the Department of Finance has been described by Deputy Pearse Docherty as lacking credibility, direction and the vision needed to secure a fair economic recovery and a better future.  

He added that the report contained no credible path as to how the government can deliver on the needs of workers and families over the next five years, and that Fine Gael need to recognise that a balanced economy is as important as achieving a balanced budget.

Stability Programme Update lacks ambition needed for a fair economic recovery -@PearseDoherty

"The government has no plan to deliver on the needs of workers and families - Fine Gael must recognise a balanced economy is as important as a balanced budget."https://t.co/mOSf7G08GW pic.twitter.com/gWYzRp0sS5

— Sinn Féin (@sinnfeinireland) April 14, 2021

Teachta Doherty said:“The Stability Programme Update underlines the impact Covid-19 has had on jobs and our economy, but also points towards our ability to bounce back provided a successful vaccine roll out and an appropriate policy response to support incomes, jobs and businesses.

The Draft Stability Programme Update published today provides solid ground for optimism that our economy and our public finances will recover from this pandemic https://t.co/SuC8Nch0PZ

— Michael McGrath (@mmcgrathtd) April 14, 2021

“With unemployment forecast to remain below pre-pandemic levels until after 2025, it is crucial that measures remain in place to support incomes, with a credible jobs strategy brought forward to provide opportunities and avoid the scourge of long-term unemployment."

He said that today, Thursday, was an opportunity to put forward a credible and ambitious plan to address the challenges faced before this pandemic and that he feels the report failed to deliver.  

He said opportunities were missed: “To end the housing crisis created by Fine Gael, to ensure that our children no longer sit in the most crowded classrooms in Europe, to tackle a decade of underinvestment and mismanagement in our hospitals by successive Governments. To take advantage of the low cost of debt-financing in order to invest in infrastructure across the country, boosting regional development and an inclusive recovery."

Government Stability Programme Update says employment levels won't return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023. Estimated 80,000 jobs coming back this year, 225,000 in 2022

— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) April 14, 2021

He said that he feels that today's report provided no course of direction whereby the Government could deliver for the people: “Today’s report failed to provide that ambition, with no credible path of how the government can deliver on the needs of workers and families over the next five years. Fine Gael need to recognise that a balanced economy is just as important as achieving a balanced budget. There is no clarity on how the strategy published by government today can deliver in housing, health, education, jobs and climate action. Without that clarity, today’s report lacks credibility.”