Martin: jobs safe with us

ENTERPRISE Minister Micheál Martin launched a personal attack yesterday accusing senior Rainbow figures of scare-mongering over job losses.

He singled out his Fine Gael opposite number Phil Hogan, claiming he had predicted major employment losses, which failed to materialise.

FF again tried to make the economy the centre-piece of the campaign, as party big guns denied their election strategy was failing to connect with voters.

Mr Martin repeated Finance Minister Brian Cowen’s claims on Monday that FG and Labour were carrying out a “con-job” on voters, by presenting three different spending lists — each party’s individual one and a joint Rainbow programme.

“This is a con job offering three different programmes.

“They are running away from the economy and running away from close scrutiny of their policies,” Mr Martin said.

A Fine Gael spokesperson dismissed the accusations of scare-mongering on jobs as “nonsense”, insisting the Rainbow alternative had a clearly defined and costed programme to keep hi-tech and manufacturing jobs in Ireland, while keeping the country competitive.