Deputy Joan Burton speaking on Labour's Pre-Budget submission

Posted on December 04, 2009 at 04:44 PM

In this post our Finance Spokesperson Deputy Joan Burton talks about our Pre-Budget submission which was launched today.

Between flash floods, swine flu and our ill-fated World Cup adventure there is little in the way of hope and optimism about these days. Non-stop talk about our faltering economy does nothing to lift the sense of gloom.

Even with a hairshirt budget on the horizon, however, I think there is cause for hope.

Ireland can and will get through our economic difficulties as long as we focus relentlessly on tackling the jobs crisis.

Yes, we need to deal with the Fianna Fáil budget deficit, but we need to do it fairly.

We need to protect people who depend on child benefit or the old age pension to make ends meet.

People who earn the most and have the most must be asked to shoulder a fair share of the burden - that is the Labour way.

When you are in a deep hole, the first thing you do is stop digging; then you work to climb out of it.

The hole in the public finances has ballooned to such an extent that we need resolute action to ensure it grows no further.

The Labour Party accepts the need for a €4bn adjustment in 2010, but the budget can't be just about cuts - it needs to be about jobs, and it needs to be about fairness.

Central to Labour's alternative is a dedicated 'jobs fund' through which we would invest nearly €2bn over the next two years in creating and protecting jobs.

You can see our detailed programme in our policy section. (You can read Joan and Eamon's statement in our media centre.)

by Deputy Joan Burton

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