Coalition must emphasise society not just the economy, says minister

A Government Minister has said the Coalition "missed a beat" when it came to water charges and called for a broader vision from Fine Gael and Labour instead of "just putting money" in people's pockets.

Minister of State for Finance Simon Harris also said "most citizens don't live in an economy" but want to live in a nation and a society.

Mr Harris was speaking at the Matheson Christmas Lunch. He said it was the job of the Government "to provide the evidence to rebuild trust and to provide it in a form that makes sense" to voters.

Statistics

He pointed to the need for the Government to move away from highlighting economic growth figures and statistics and to instead focus on the effects on peoples’ lives.

"We need to stop just talking about the macro – we need to stop just rattling out statistics," the Wicklow TD said. "Why are we working day and night for economic recovery – it's not to satisfy a bond market, or a troika or impress the world – for the sake of any of that in and of itself. It's so we can deliver for our people."

Next year will be one of choices, he said, “about our country, our economy, our society and its direction”.

The water charges showed how the Government “missed a beat”, he said.

“We thought get the big stuff right and the rest will follow. Clearly not.”