This stable inter-party Government has increased economic volatility

HULLABALOO over Fine Gael’s aborted PR stunt to mark the anniversary of their year in office was a sideshow.

Good relations between FG and Labour are the main achievement of the Government. Political stability in the form of a mega-majority and inter-party harmony is the basis for a five-year term of office. It’s in stark contrast to the mayhem of the FF/Green disarray. Brian Cowen had lost the confidence of his party and didn’t even contest the election. The remaining ministers, after a botched reshuffle, were testament to the worst government in the history of the State. That disaster sets the bar too low to assess our new masters.

Enda and Eamon claim, on their own self-assessed report card, to have pulled us back from the edge, stabilised the economy and revitalised our international reputation. Facts are less than supportive: over the past year, company insolvencies have risen from four to five per day; unemployment is up from 14.4% to a projected 14.6% in 2012; weekly emigration is beyond 1,000; householders in mortgage arrears over 90 days have increased by 20,000. Domestic demand and GNP are declining (after inflation) for a fifth consecutive year. Repeatedly asserting our image has been transformed doesn’t make it a reality. If the Irish economy’s difficulties could be resolved by spin, they would have been already. It took FF 12 years to be disconnected from reality. This lot are well down that road in 12 months.