Greek, Portuguese and Spanish examples illustrate need for stable, responsible government – Seán Kelly MEP

Kelly urges vote for stability on Friday

The instability and economic damage caused by leftist governments and the threat of hung parliaments in other EU Member States clearly illustrates why the Irish electorate should vote for stability on Friday with a Fine Gael-led government, according to Seán Kelly MEP, leader of the Fine Gael delegation in the European Parliament.

“One only needs to look at the wider European picture to understand why Ireland needs continued stability under a Fine Gael-led government. The current political situations in Greece, Spain and Portugal show what could be in store otherwise. Greece has returned to a deep recession, Portugal’s cost of borrowing has skyrocketed as a result of their leftist government while Spain faces political uncertainty due to unreliable national leftist forces,” Mr Kelly said today (Monday).

“Meanwhile, Ireland has restored its reputation in Europe and internationally, thanks to Fine Gael.

Ireland’s recovery is real but fragile and needs to be managed responsibly. We cannot afford a spell of political uncertainty.

Ireland was the fastest growing economy in Europe, with GDP growing at just under 7% in 2015 and this upward trend will continue this year as long as Fine Gael are returned to office to continue with necessary reforms to maintain economic stability.

Over the last five years, 135,000 additional jobs have been created. Unemployment is now 8.6%, the lowest it has been for seven years, down from a high of more than 15% in 2012 and below the Eurozone average of 10.5%,” he added.

MEP Kelly said the recovery is also evidenced by the reduction in the Irish deficit from €18 billion in 2010 to just over €4 billion in 2015. Government Debt has also declined from a high of 120% in 2012 to less than 97% in 2015 and forecast to be less than 93% in 2016.

“The results clearly show that Fine Gael can be trusted to manage Ireland’s economy, to create prosperity and ensure stability. A lot has been achieved under this government but there is much more to do, that is why it is imperative that Fine Gael is returned to office,” concluded Mr Kelly.