McDowell has a selective view of the Rainbow

DURING the recent Dáil debate on a motion calling for an early general election, the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell gave a remarkably selective appraisal of the economic record of Fine Gael and Labour when they were last in government from 1994 to 1997.

True to form, Mr McDowell sought to make sweeping assumptions about the opinions of the electorate, saying that “the people know that if they put the Labour Party and Fine Gael into office... the unemployment queues will grow and (economic) growth will stop”.

He declared that “anybody with any memory knows that Fine Gael and the Labour party together form a slump coalition. When the rainbow coalition left office in 1997, unemployment stood at a figure of 10.9%”.

The minister’s own memory seems to be at variance with the facts. What Mr McDowell failed to mention, for some reason, was that the unemployment rate stood at 15% when the Rainbow government entered office.

So, in fact, unemployment fell by almost one-third during the two-and-a- half years when Fine Gael and Labour were last in government.

Anyone listening to Mr McDowell’s version of events could be forgiven for thinking that the figure of 10.9% was somehow a failure on their behalf.

Mr McDowell also omitted several other relevant facts from his analysis.

When the Rainbow was in office, 1,000 jobs were being created every week; the economy was growing at a rate of almost 8% per annum; inflation was at a record low of less than 1.5%; tourism revenues, house completions and global exports all hit record highs.

Why did Mr McDowell not take these facts into account when giving his analysis of the ‘slump coalition?’

Surely, he could not have been trying deliberately to misrepresent his opponents? I’m sure he would never dream of doing such a thing.

Mr McDowell’s comments are the latest symptom of the arrogant belief of the Progressive Democrats that only they are capable of managing a successful economy.

They seem to believe their presence in government is absolutely vital to the continued economic wellbeing of the country, and that cranes will vanish from the skyline should the electorate vote them from office.

Unfortunately for them, the record of the last Rainbow government proves otherwise.

Barry Walsh

Brookfield Hall

Castletroy

Limerick