Minister Patrick O’Donovan compares Fianna Fáil’s promises of reckless spending to an out of control taxi metre, clocking up a million euros an hour.
The Minster of State at the. Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Patrick O’Donovan has compared Fianna Fáil’s “reckless expenditure promises” to an “out of control taxi metre, clocking up a million euros an hour.”
Minister O’Donovan said, “Fianna Fáil continues to make calls for more spending without any plan on how to foot the bill. My Fine Gael colleague Deputy Peter Burke, a chartered accountant by trade, compiled a report into spending calls from Fianna Fáil during the first half of 2019. His findings showed promises and demands by Fianna Fáil totalling a massive €4.35 billion in the first six month alone.
“With just €700 million available for extra spending next year, I would strongly urge Deputy Michéal Martin and his party to explain where they plan to find the extra funding to finance their fantasy budget.”
“It seems they either cannot or will not explain how they plan to fund the €24 million extra they promised to pay out every day,” said the County Limerick Minister of State.
Minister O’Donovan asked, “Are they going to increase taxes? Are they going to cut spending in other areas, and if so which particular service is to pay the price of their electioneering? Or are they to return to old form and borrow more money on top of the debt from the last time they were in Government? There is certainly no plan in place for debt reduction if these series of unvouched promises are to be taken at their word.”
“Fianna Fáil has one plan it seems and one plan only. To run up our national debt at a million euro an hour, like an out of control taxi metre. And if this is not the case, then I for one would like to know how they plan to fund €4.35 billion in extra spending over six months – or is that €9 billion over one year? Who knows – the Fianna Fáil maths don’t add up.”
