Campaign News
Commenting after the latest significant jobs announcement in the north, this time from Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC), Irish Presidential candidate and former deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said:
“When I first became deputy First Minister four years ago we prioritised growing the economy and job creation as the main plank of our Programme for Government. Alongside Ministerial colleagues I have been central in bringing about thousands of new sustainable jobs to the north. This week alone we have seen the announcement from Capita for 330 new positions in Belfast and the announcement today of over 200 graduate positions by PwC.
“This is all welcome news. And I am confident that in the time ahead we will see further announcements resulting from the recent trade mission which Peter Robinson and myself conducted in the USA in the last fortnight.
“This tells me that Ireland is an attractive place for foreign companies to invest in if the right political and economic pitch is made. My record alongside the First Minister over the past four years is evidence of this.
“In that time through direct contact in boardrooms in the United States we have attracted amongst others corporations of the stature of CitiBank, New York Stock Exchange, Universal, HBO, Allstate and Dow Chemicals to the north. This is work I want to continue as President. I am confident that I could have direct access to any boardroom in the United States and elsewhere as a salesman for Ireland.
“Ireland needs jobs, I have a proven track record of delivering them.” ENDS
Speaking today Presidential candidate Martin McGuinness said he would be a president who is independent of Government. McGuinness said it was important the president act in the people’s interest in respect of his or her constitutional duties and not be open to pressure of influence from those in government.
Martin McGuinness said
“There have been some suggestions made by Government Ministers that the role of the President is to act as a spokesperson for the government, particularly in oversees engagements. This is not the role of the President. Those comments illustrate why we need a president who is independent of Government. Indeed they demonstrate a misunderstanding of the role of president.
“If elected as Uachtaran na hEireann my foremost concern will be to uphold the constitution – to be a people’s president by putting the people’s interest first. I will uphold the constitution, stand up for Ireland and stand up for Irish sovereignty.
“What the people of Ireland need is a president who will not respond to pressure from government to ignore his or her constitutional obligations - for example the dissolution of the Dáil or the reference of constitutionally questionable bills to the Supreme Court. I will be in the people’s corner – not the governments.
“I am of course committed to working with whatever government is in office to promote Ireland oversees. Promoting Ireland for inward investment is something which I along with Peter Robonson have dedicated considerable time to in our roles and as Deputy First Minister and First Minister in the North.”
Irish Presidential candidate Martin McGuinness today said ‘he had no intention of engaging in petty attacks on fellow candidates for the Aras’.
“I have fought many election campaigns and I have never engaged in negative campaigning or in petty attacks on fellow candidates. I do not intend to change that approach now as we face into the Presidential campaign.
“I have a positive progressive message to deliver and I intend to engage directly with ordinary people right across Ireland in the weeks ahead.“I have a record as a unifier. I was central in uniting nationalist and republican opinion in the north around the development of a peace process. Likewise I was central to uniting nationalist, republican, unionist and loyalist opinion around power sharing institutions. And now I am confident that I can unite the Irish people in a great effort to build a new republic.” ENDS
Presidential candidate, Martin McGuinness, today (20th September) handed in his nomination papers at the Custom House in Dublin, to formally become a candidate for the election.
Irish Presidential candidate Martin McGuinness visits Ireland's premier rural and agriculture event, the National Ploughing Championships in Athy, Co. Kildare.
