Naughten describes local elections as referendum on how to tackle recession

Friday"s vote for the local and European elections is a referendum on the approach that needs to be taken to support existing employment and create new jobs throughout the country, claims local TD Denis Naughten. 'Fine Gael is the only party that has set out a clear agenda to create jobs and to get this country out of the mess created by Fianna Fáil,' stated Deputy Naughten. 'We are the only party that is placing the creation and retention of jobs at the heart of our political programme. 'We are the only party that has set out detailed and costed plans for Rebuilding Ireland by overhauling our State companies in a way that drives our investment programme in broadband, clean energy and water, creating up to 100,000 new jobs - with up to 1,200 of them based locally. He added that Fine Gael had also published proposals that would save the average small business €50,000 each year and support the retention of 80,000 jobs through Fine Gael"s SME survival package. Included as part of this programme is a €6,000 wage subsidy per employee for new staff recruited over the next two years, reductions in local authority rates and a freeze on Government charges. The full details of both of these proposals are available on the party"s website www.finegael.ie 'Fine Gael is the only political party that will not bail out the banks and the developers, whether through NAMA proposed by Fianna Fáil or nationalisation proposed by Labour, and that would only use taxpayers" money to create a National Recovery Bank to support new lending to businesses that will save and create jobs,' explained Deputy Naughten. 'Only Fine Gael has offered real, practical solutions to our current difficulties. Fianna Fáil locally is absolutely the same as Fianna Fáil nationally - there is no difference despite what their local candidates may tell voters. This election is simply about right and wrong, about a new way forward out of the current mess. Fine Gael has always put the country before any ideology or interest group and that is why we are seeking the support of the public this Friday,' concluded Denis Naughten.