Cowen defends record

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen has defended the Government’s economic record after being compared by the Labour leader to a “rabbit caught in the headlights”.

Earlier this week, Eamon Gilmore blamed Mr Cowen and his predecessor, Bertie Ahern, for the country’s fiscal troubles and rejected suggestions that international factors such as the bailouts for US mortgage giants Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac were solely to blame. “Let’s be clear about it: the names behind Ireland’s economic woes are not Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. They are Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen,” Mr Gilmore said.

But Mr Cowen yesterday defended the Government’s record. “We had, in the economy, over the last number of years rates of growth — employment and economic growth — which have compared very favourably. The Opposition contention then of course was that [it had] nothing to do with us,” said Mr Cowen.