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Sinn Fein delegation meets the Troika

Wednesday, October 17 14:17:17

A Sinn Fein delegation led by deputy leader, Mary Lou McDonald and including Brian Stanley TD, Peadar Toibin TD and Senator Kathryn Reilly met the Troika this morning.

Speaking after the meeting Deputy McDonald said that the delegation told the Troika that the imposed policy of austerity is simply not working.

"It is clear that despite the claims from the government, the Troika deal is not impacting positively on the economy. This point was accepted by the Troika representatives," said Ms McDonald.

"We have 450,000 people on the live register, the long term unemployed now accounts for 60pc of all those unemployed, we have lost 33,400 job in the economy last years and we had 87,000 people emigrating last year. Our people are bearing the brunt of the pain and the deficit is increasing. The government and troika have decisions to make, to continue with a policy that is costing jobs, deepening the recession and cutting essential public services or to change course and invest in job creation, promote growth and safeguard services to the most needy in our society. The way to deal with the deficit is through economic growth."

"Last week we produced a plan that would create a E13 billion investment fund to create jobs. We spoke to the Troika representatives who acknowledged that economic growth was needed but stressed that the decisions on how to achieve it rest with the government. There is an urgent need for the government to support the creation of jobs and growth as the means to tackle the deficit," she said.