Simon Coveney TD, Mayor Denis Ryan, Party Leader Enda Kenny, Deputy Noel Coonan and Cllr. Ger Darcy
Well over 300 people attended a public meeting hosted by F.G. Deputy Noel Coonan in Damer Court Hotel on Monday evening last.
During the meeting Deputy Coonan received assurances from Party Leader Enda Kenny that Roscrea and North Tipperary will be high priority for Fine Gael in Government and the party will do its utmost to ensure that this now neglected region flourishes.
Roscrea town was chosen as the location for this inaugural meeting of Fine Gael’s National Campaign on the Party’s Jobs Plan NewERA which was launched last Thursday. Speaking in the Damer Court Hotel on Monday night, Deputy Coonan said he believed the large turnout sent a clear message to Deputy Kenny and Simon Coveney TD, Communications Spokesperson, that our concern is to make Roscrea a leading provincial town in Ireland as we continue to feel the brunt of this recession following the recent closure of Taro Pharmaceuticals.
Deputy Coonan, who hosted and chaired the event, kick-started the meeting stating:
“This is the first in a series of meetings to outline Fine Gael’s jobs policy and it will give hope to those who have lost their jobs or struggling to hold onto jobs. We intend to provide a positive outlook for the future which is especially important here in North Tipperary, a region which has been ravaged by job losses. I have made North Tipperary a high priority of mine in the Dáil and Deputy Kenny and Deputy Coveney have responded to that priority by coming here tonight to give confidence to the people.“
Deputy F.G.leader Enda Kenny who was warmly greeted and applauded by the crowd stated:
“We are proposing to take €4billion out of the economy in 2010 and this detailed and cost-ed plan was outlined in our alternative budget which is a radical approach to sort out the mess and eradicate waste such as quangos. In this alternative budget we do not propose taking money from the blind or the disabled or those earning below €30,000, who would have their pay preserved.
I think the way budgets are presented is wrong, it’s like a charade. The budget is read out, there is a bit of discussion on it and it is voted through. Fine Gael will make budget proposals more transparent to the electorate, so that everyone knows what is going on and there can be a discussion about budget proposals prior to its publication. The Live Register rose by 28% in the past 12 months here in Tipperary and I want to see the people of this county having work on their doorstep, so they can plan their future lives.”
F.G. Communications Spokesperson, Deputy Simon Coveney effectively explained how NewERA can work for the people of North Tipperary and gave the hard facts on how Fine Gael will make Ireland a more prosperous place to live.
Deputy Coveney stated:
“We will help employers pay salaries, we will keep people in a job and we will make companies more competitive by reducing the tax burden on employers. We will target those who are suffering because they are left shouldering the national debt through no fault of their own. We need to build a telecommunications infrastructure and not hotels and apartment blocks. Roscrea has to compete with other counties and countries in terms of broadband speed or this provincial town, like many towns, will be left behind.
We need a programme to deliver energy infrastructure. Ireland is ranked 29th out of 30 in terms of broadband speeds. This Government goes on about a smart economy but what does that mean if we cannot even communicate with effective broadband speeds.”
North Tipperary’s Fine Gael Mayor Denis Ryan who also addressed the gathering stated:
“In Roscrea we have suffered greatly. The West and East coasts have continued to developed the most, while the Midlands has been totally neglected and the real test is to see if there are any green shoots in our present economy, is if we find new jobs are being created.“
Numerous members of the audience eagerly took part in the question and answers session which followed and F.G.leader Enda Kenny left the meeting to huge applause by the assembled crowd.
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