Jobs action plan ‘undermined by stealth taxes’

Coalition plans to create tens of thousands of jobs are under threat due to a series of stealth charges that will take more money out of consumers’ pockets and weaken demand, Fianna Fáil claimed yesterday.

The warning came as the latest CSO figures delivered good news for the Government, as the unemployment rate fell for the sixth quarter in a row to 12.1%.

The Coalition was also boosted by the news 61,000 jobs were created in the 12 months to December 2013, bringing the total number of people at work above 1.9m, the highest since 2009.