Taoiseach Enda Kenny at IBEC’s President’s Dinner in the RDS last night
Oh yes.
We’re IBEC baby.
There can be no doubt that we’re in a new phase in Ireland. Even in the room tonight there’s a deeper optimism. Across business people are starting to breathe again the belief is coming back…
For all of you, for Ireland the future was uncertain. But as a nation we did what we’re good at. We faced up to the challenges head on. Painful as it was, we knew what we had to do to bring Ireland back from the brink. This Government, together with the people, implemented a recovery plan to bring us to where we are today.
Together, we restored our international reputation. Together, we supported the changes to help create 125,000 extra jobs since 2012. Together, we made Ireland Europe’s fastest growing economy. Today, we are witnessing the fruits of that recovery. The long-term goal of reducing the deficit to under 3% of GDP will be achieved this year. Given the very strong increases in growth it’s likely we’ll see our debt-to-GDP ratio fall below 100 per cent by the end of this year. Our recovering economy is fuelling a surge in tax revenue. In fact, after the first eight months of 2015, tax revenues are almost 10% higher on the same period last year.
This is an important time in our recovery. Some people will look at these figures and shudder thinking ‘Oh god, here we go back to the political burlesque of ‘Showtime’. The bravado of “If I have it, I’ll spend it.”
Except they can relax that’s not going to happen. With this government we are never going back to boom and bust. We are never going back to auction politics that actually sold off nothing except public trust and faith in politicians.
[Later]
…It is clear to everyone that there are many paths to choose from in the coming years. Despite what some might lead you to believe, stability, economic growth, and job creation don’t just happen by chance. Choices have consequences. The upcoming General Election will ask the people of Ireland which choice they want to make, the path they will choose. Our approach will be crystal clear. We will prioritise measures that help create more jobs and make work pay.
Given the ordeal the Irish people have endured during the downturn, they deserve to know what exactly the disparate groupings hoping for Government are proposing for the next 5 years. It’s not good enough to tell people what you’re against. You need to tell people what you’re for and how you intend to get there. I am confident that when the people examine the options before them that they will choose stability, progress and securing the recovery over ones that have ruined the economy or those that would ruin it.
But in the next Government we need to be more radical and do a lot more to provide large sections of Irish society the opportunity to access the world of work. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past where the long term unemployed miss out on the chance to support themselves and their families in a recovering economy.
The past few years have been difficult for our country. The emerging recovery has been hard won – thanks to you. The opportunity is there now to secure it.
The Government that I lead has a plan to do just that. There will be no going back to boom and bust – bad business as usual. We must go on and improve and finish what we started. To create jobs for our people, to create a strong economy that can support our vital public services, and to come out of this dark period even stronger than ever.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny speaking last night at IBEC’s President’s Dinner in the RDS, Dublin.
Any excuse
Transcript Via Merrion Street