By Fiachra Ó Cionnaith, Political Reporter
Tánaiste Joan Burton has claimed "a decade of opportunity is within our reach" which must not be squandered by "gambling" on opposition parties taking control of the economic recovery.
The Labour leader made the prediction in her key note speech at her party's final ard fheis before the general election, as she outlined a series of fresh pre-election promises to help families buy their first homes, improve childcare and double arts funds over the next five years.
Speaking to a boisterous crowd of party delegates at the Mullingar Park Hotel in Co Westmeath in what is considered a vital vote gaining opportunity due to the live TV coverage it automatically receives, Ms Burton insisted voters need to "stay the course together" to ensure the world economy's "fragile state" does not throw Ireland back into a recession.
The Tánaiste outlined a series of improvements Labour has introduced since entering power and a handful more it promises to introduce if re-elected.
Returning to a central coalition election claim by attacking Fianna Fáil without specifically mentioning Sinn Féin, saying the country must not "squander" the recovery by handing it over to "the party who caused the crash and the party who could have made it worse".
"We entered government to stand up for the men and women who lost their jobs and a way of life as a result of the crash. We entered government to stand up for older people fearful about their pension and peace of mind. We entered government to end the worst economic crisis we've ever known.
"The true test of any government is whether it leaves our country in a better place. Fianna Fail inherited a boom and blew it. Labour, with our coalition partners Fine Gael, inherited a ruin and rebuilt it.
"But the people did the hard yards. And that extraordinary effort, that extraordinary sacrifice, is paying off.
"So tonight, I want to talk to you about the battles that remain. The journeys we have yet to take. About the decade of opportunity within our reach.
"About the risks we face along the way. And about staying the course together to overcome them," she said.
Like other parties in previous weeks, Ms Burton used her live TV speech to hit out at rival parties, with Fianna Fáil repeatedly being criticised for its time in power.
She said that Fianna Fáil had cut the minimum wage by €1 an hour while Labour has increased it twice so that the payment is now "worth more than €3,000 extra a year to a low paid worker".
The Labour leader continued that her party has already taken 700,000 people out of the "savage" universal social charge the previous government introduced, and that 135,000 new jobs have been created under the current coalition.
Pointing to the need in her view to allow these measures to continue, she said:
"Right now, the recovery remains incomplete, and there are risks ahead. The world economy remains in a fragile state. Stability is vital. The worst mistake we could make now is to squander our hard-earned progress by gambling on uncertainty."
If Labour is re-elected, Ms Burton said her priority is to continue this "prosperity" by ensuring there is "a job for everyone who wants one by 2018"; 50,000 new apprenticeship posts; the raising of the minimum wage to a living wage; and the abolition of USC for anyone on less than €72,000.
She said for every €1 in tax reductions, a future Labour government will invest €3 in services including schools, community healthcare, pension improvements for older people and housing.
The latter point is expected to include a new "save to buy scheme" which Ms Burton said will "give first time buyers a helping hand" in buying affordable homes by providing "a cash top-up when saving the deposit for a home".
"The journey of the last eight years has been a truly testing one for our people. We were knocked down, but we picked ourselves back up. We regrouped, rebuilt and redefined.
"If we stay on the right course, we can sustain the recovery and strengthen the economy. If we stay on the right course, we can use the strong economy to build a decent society.
"If you want Ireland to stay on that course, it means giving Labour the mandate to finish what we started. And seize the decade of opportunity that is ahead of us.
Together, we've made a good start. A good start is half the work. So let's complete the journey," she said.
Ms Burton was introduced by local TD Willie Penrose, who said the coalition "would have been a very different government without Labour" and that the party has "protected" vulnerable people while in power.
"The situation in 2011 was so serious that without Labour I don't believe this Government would have survived.
"I'm not going to tell you Joan Burton can walk on water. But Joan Burton has played a major part in keeping our country afloat," he said.
The backbench Labour TD added that his party leader "has been attacked and threatened by people who have never done anything" and that the choice for voters is to put her and Labour back into office or allow a country of "division".
