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Eve of Poll Statement
Last updated on 24 Feb, 2011
Summary:
Tomorrow the Irish people will go to the ballot box to decide the most important general election in a generation.
The choice we make tomorrow will decide whether Ireland will speedily emerge from this economic crisis of recent times. Or whether recovery will be delayed and Ireland will continue to struggle with high unemployment and low economic growth for many years to come.
Put simply, the choice in this election is that fundamental.
That is why I am appealing to people to reflect carefully on the policies that each of the parties have committed to at this election.
The issues facing our country are too serious for political game playing or make belief economics.
In this election, Fianna Fáil has set out an honest, costed and credible plan.
It will help us to revive our economy.
It will help us restore the public finances.
It will help us to deliver jobs and fundamentally reform our politics and government.
It will enable businesses to access funding.
Up to 150,000 jobs can be created with the right policies over the lifetime of our Plan.
We have set out how this can be achieved on a sector by sector basis.
Our Plan is a Real Plan for a Better Future.
Fine Gael has offered the election a clever public relations strategy based on a five-point plan which is a marketing trick. It lacks substance, it has few credible initiatives and it flies in the face of economic realities.
It is a cause for concern that throughout this entire election campaign, Enda Kenny could not say how Fine Gael would achieve the €6.5billion in spending cuts on which their whole economic strategy depends.
His response to legitimate queries about Fine Gael’s fiscal policies was to refer people to his website. That is not good enough.
In this campaign, I have promised to end the old politics, and offer a real plan to the Irish people. We have stuck to that pledge and offered a plan that contains no new spending commitments.
And that is why we are proposing real political reform which will give us a Dail focused on national issues and a government which will be opened up to experts from all sectors – ending the dominance of professional politicians.
We will continue to support these reforms whether in government or in opposition because they are necessary and are what needs to be done.
Our reforms mean better politics. And better politics means a stronger economy that will bring sustainable jobs in its train.
Over the course of this election campaign, I’ve met and listened to many people around the country.
I’ve been honest about the mistakes of the past and about the challenges of the future.
I know people are suffering and I deeply regret that. We will have to do more for people who have mortgage difficulties.
I want to play my part in renewing our economy.
We can only do this by reforming how we do the business of government.
We need a new and more open politics.
That is why we avoided the auction politics of the past, and told the people the truth about the present circumstances and our future course.
I am proud of the campaign we have run, and of the people working for Fianna Fail all across this country in every constituency.
Tomorrow the Irish people will decide.
I believe a prosperous, forward-looking Ireland will be our future once again if we make the right choices.
That better future is available to Ireland, and I respectfully ask people to vote for the Fianna Fáil candidates in their area so that we can deliver on our Real Plan for a Better Future.