Finance:The economy will be in much better hands under Labour, former minister for finance Ruairí Quinn told delegates.
He warned that the successes of recent years have been in spite of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats, and not because of them.
"This country has experienced great economic success in recent years. Many of you here are young enough to never have experienced a depression, rampant unemployment or fiscal irresponsibility.
"Our economy is in a much better place today than during the economic crises caused by Fianna Fáil in the 1970s and 1980s. Today's economic success is not because of the current Government; it is in spite of them."
The current 5.7 per cent growth rate is not unparalleled, unbelievable and a testament to its collective brilliance as the Government claims, said Mr Quinn, who served as minister for finance from December 1994 to June 1997.
"Well, it's not unparalleled. I can tell you of one recent time when there was a clear parallel - in fact, when we were doing much better. When Labour was last in government, the growth rate averaged not 5 per cent, but consistently more than 8 per cent. Ireland can do better with Labour."
He cited the number of jobs created between 1993 and 1997 (during half of which time Labour served in government with Fianna Fáil), when unemployment fell by 5 per cent.
"It took the current Government its entire 10 years in power to do the same. We were able to do that because we tripled economic growth in five years. Ireland can do better with Labour," he told delegates.
"Redundancies last year were double what they were when Labour was last in government. In the last fortnight alone, we have seen thousands of jobs lost right across the country - and not in so-called 'old' industries.
"These were high-tech jobs in companies like Pfizer, Motorola and FCI. When we left office in 1997, we were creating more than a thousand jobs each week. Ireland can do better with Labour," said Mr Quinn.
"A change is needed. A change at every level of national Government. We need to refocus on solutions for people, not solutions for elections. We need to focus on the long-term prospects, not on what will get us to August, when we can all run off to the tent at the Galway Races and forget the troubles of hard-working families right across the country.
"Labour offers that change. Labour has delivered in the past, and we can deliver again. Ireland can do better with Labour," Mr Quinn said.
