Speech by Fine Gael Jobs Spokesman Richard Bruton TD to the NYCI Youth Employment Conference in Croke Park

‘We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them’ – Albert Einstein.

There is a great deal of talk in the media about the obligation on the Opposition to engage constructively in the formation of a Budgetary strategy for the next four years. This is a central duty of parliament. That it should be regarded as a novel proposal just illustrates the extraordinary dysfunctional system of Budget formation that exists in Ireland. Even though the approval of a Budget should be a central role of parliament, the Irish system allows: Read the full story

An essential foundation stone in any plan of economic renewal must be to re-invent government. The challenge is to create a new model of government that is smaller, better, and gets things done. This wont be easy but I believe Fine Gael has shown how it can be done.

The case for radical reform of our model government is compelling. It failed to protect the country from ruin. It has become too big and expensive. It didn’t deliver on any of its big plans. It has now lost credibility at home and abroad and Ireland is now locked out of borrowing markets.

Delay in undertaking structural reform has made the crisis worse and the longer it is delayed the worse it will get. It props up waste. It damages competitiveness. It forces taxes up further. It forces cutbacks at the frontline.

The Irish Times levels a number of criticisms at Fine Gael’s policy. It accuses Fine Gael of being “light on implementation details”. In fact, rarely has a document been more explicit. It details:- Read the full story

The Diverse Ambitions of the Pre-Founders
It is natural to turn to our past at times of national crisis and upheaval, when the very purpose and promise of the nation are at risk. The Founders have comes to symbolize more than just their own accomplishments and beliefs. What did they really stand for?

There is an enormous range of diversity in the ideals and ambitions of those who sought a Republic. The signatories of the 1916 proclamation of a Republic included some very mystical thinkers like Pearse, and a militant socialist like Connolly. Equally entitled to lay claim as a founder was Sinn Fein, even though Arthur Griffith supported the Hungarian model of Dual Monarchy. His thinking was modelled on the German Economist Frederick List and believed that every sphere of public policy needed to be imbued with national ambition. He sharply took issue with the thinking of Adam Smith and the power of the invisible hand of markets to deliver desirable outcomes.

Read the full story