"Ireland will beat recession", "Rapid growth... as early as next year" - Cowen

[MsAnneThrope]

Ireland will beat recession - Cowen

Ireland will beat the global recession and is already making “real progress”, Taoiseach Brian Cowen said tonight.

“I understand that and I want to explain to you tonight that we are making real progress, and that we have a way out that is working,” Mr Cowen said.

He said nobody saw the “size and depth” of the economic crisis in including the main opposition parties in the Dáil.

“Their hindsight may be clear now, but they were not so sharp eyed when the crisis was only around the corner,” the Taoiseach added.

“And it’s not just me or my Fianna Fáil colleagues who are saying that. The ESRI and other commentators are now predicting that the decisions taken by the Government, allied with the flexibility of our economy and our people in reacting to the crisis, means that we are positioned to return to growth, even rapid growth, as the world economy turns, as early as next year.”

Has he not been following the sentiment from the USA? Is he smoking dope?

CNN - Fed's economic forecast worsens

CNN - Wall Street struggles as investors worry about the status of the global recovery

[spidermom]

Where did he say this...in to the mirror...." We will beat the recession...we will beat the recession...we will beat the recession...I am a good taoiseach...I am a good taoiseach"...

power of positive thinking!!!

[MsAnneThrope]

Mr Cowen said economic recovery was based on four pillars:

Addressing the banking to restore credibility and confidence and to get credit flowing; tackling the gap in public finances by increasing revenue and cutting spending; protecting as many jobs as possible; and investing in the unemployed so they can return to employment as soon as possible.

Well you'd think he'd turn the sod and start on those pillars wouldn't you?

(i) "Addressing the banking/get credit flowing" - 9 months later and where are we?

(ii) "Tackling the gap in public finances" - A little done, tons more to do. When???

(iii) "protecting as many jobs as possible" - How??? Name one pro-employment measure he has taken to help employers?

(iv) "investing in the unemployed" - What does that mean? Useless Fás courses for jobs that don't exist? Or hiring more people in the dole offices?

This man has to go. He is living on another planet.

[Vega1447]

Thank G0d, we're saved....

[MsAnneThrope]

Where did he say this

Speaking at a Fianna Fáil election rally in Slane, Co Meath, Mr Cowen hit out at “the bad news brigade” and the Opposition, who he said “offer little in terms of solutions, but specialise in pointing the finger.”

I'm sure he got a standing ovation and a few free pints afterwards too.

[toxic avenger]

Cowen is an outrageous f*cking liar. Even my dad, who left school at 14, had been saying for years there was a giant f*ck off crash coming. I hate bulsh1tters. Now he's pushing the false floor 'green shoots' bullsh1t too. Shameless.

[cd27]

What decisions is Cowen talking about, the decisions to delay the pathetically small public spending cuts for nearly 9 months and then not cut by anywhere near enough. The decisions to tax their way out of a recession in spite of all experience to the contrary...

If he's blind to his record I'll spell it out, pump priming an already over-heating economy with recklessly large increases in public spending and ill timed tax cuts, coupled with low interest rates, set off a pyramid scheme, inflation and high costs economy.

[garlandgreen]

Good man Brian. Come on man pull it out of the fire

[spidermom]

I'm sure he got a standing ovation and a few free pints afterwards too.

Ahhhh...FF rally in Slane..sure he could have told them it was his advice to Shane Lowry on the 18th that won the young lad the open and they would have believed him!!!!!

[kerrynorth]

I think Brian is auditioning for a career as an Estate Agency economist.......seeing as he is going to lose his present job soon.