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Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, a frequent visitor to Waterford in recent months, will pay another visit to the city this Thursday in the company of his party’s ‘economic team’.
Fine Gael Party Leader, Enda Kenny TD, spoke to more than one-hundred Waterford business leaders at an economics forum held in the Granville Hotel yesterday (Thursday) under the banner of ‘Working Together’. Mr Kenny said the forum gave rise to valuable ideas and initiatives that would help to stimulate economic recovery and create jobs.
The meeting was chaired by George Lee TD, former economics editor at RTE who was recently appointed Chair of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party Business Forum. Also present were Deputy Leader and Finance Spokesman, Richard Bruton TD; Enterprise Spokesman Leo Varadkar TD; Communications Spokesman Simon Coveney TD; and Deputy Finance Spokesman Kieran O’ Donnell TD.
This writer attended a similar event when Des O’ Malley and Pat Cox came to Waterford at the launch of the Progressive Democrats in 1986. Business people expressed their real problems and were listened to by Mr Kenny and his front bench members George Lee, formerly economics editor with RTE.
They heard real stories about the recession from people like hotelier, June Darrer, who spoke about how she had reduced staff from 100 to 50 in line with many in the industry. Her hotel was a third generation business and she wanted to see some action and not be told what the politicians thought they wanted to hear.
The Fine Gael leaders reacted to this positively and, in an exchange, stated that they did have initiatives to turn things around on PRSI, employment of new staff and a reduction of energy costs. This was a major factor, noted another hotelier.
Business owners said they could see their sons and daughters emigrating for work and did not want it but wished to revive their businesses from losing jobs to growing again.
Passion
There was passion in the audience and in the debate. One speaker wanted to see the top 100 civil servants, who had secure jobs and pensions, being made answerable for their management of the state. The general feeling afterwards was that it had been very worthwhile and local councillors were very enthused by the reaction of people at the invited forum.
The issue of a university at WIT for the South East was raised and Enda Kenny responded that the party, through Education spokesperson, Brian Hayes, did support it and had visited the college to say so.
There was a general view that too much Government time was being spent on NAMA as the real economy disintegrated and jobs were being lost daily without much Government concern. It was clear that Waterford people were not taking the recession lying down with one speaker saying he had never previously voted Fine Gael but wanted something done now before it was too late after he had many cutbacks at his firm.
Mr Kenny said he was greatly heartened by the enthusiasm of the Waterford business leaders he had met and, despite the magnitude of the economic task they faced, he was extremely impressed by the substance and value of their ideas.
el Party Leader, Enda Kenny TD, spoke to more than one-hundred Waterford business leaders at an economics forum held in the Granville Hotel yesterday (Thursday) under the banner of ‘Working Together’. Mr Kenny said the forum gave rise to valuable ideas and initiatives that would help to stimulate economic recovery and create jobs.
The meeting was chaired by George Lee TD, former economics editor at RTE who was recently appointed Chair of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party Business Forum. Also present were Deputy Leader and Finance Spokesman, Richard Bruton TD; Enterprise Spokesman Leo Varadkar TD; Communications Spokesman Simon Coveney TD; and Deputy Finance Spokesman Kieran O’ Donnell TD.
This writer attended a similar event when Des O’ Malley and Pat Cox came to Waterford at the launch of the Progressive Democrats in 1986. Business people expressed their real problems and were listened to by Mr Kenny and his front bench members George Lee, formerly economics editor with RTE.
They heard real stories about the recession from people like hotelier, June Darrer, who spoke about how she had reduced staff from 100 to 50 in line with many in the industry. Her hotel was a third generation business and she wanted to see some action and not be told what the politicians thought they wanted to hear.
The Fine Gael leaders reacted to this positively and, in an exchange, stated that they did have initiatives to turn things around on PRSI, employment of new staff and a reduction of energy costs. This was a major factor, noted another hotelier.
Business owners said they could see their sons and daughters emigrating for work and did not want it but wished to revive their businesses from losing jobs to growing again.
Passion
There was passion in the audience and in the debate. One speaker wanted to see the top 100 civil servants, who had secure jobs and pensions, being made answerable for their management of the state. The general feeling afterwards was that it had been very worthwhile and local councillors were very enthused by the reaction of people at the invited forum.
The issue of a university at WIT for the South East was raised and Enda Kenny responded that the party, through Education spokesperson, Brian Hayes, did support it and had visited the college to say so.
There was a general view that too much Government time was being spent on NAMA as the real economy disintegrated and jobs were being lost daily without much Government concern. It was clear that Waterford people were not taking the recession lying down with one speaker saying he had never previously voted Fine Gael but wanted something done now before it was too late after he had many cutbacks at his firm.
Mr Kenny said he was greatly heartened by the enthusiasm of the Waterford business leaders he had met and, despite the magnitude of the economic task they faced, he was extremely impressed by the substance and value of their ideas.
