Noonan calls for a return to spending.

martinn123

FINANCE Minister Michael Noonan last night encouraged consumers to shop their way out of the economic gloom, as new figures showed the strongest growth in three years.In an appeal aimed at those Irish people who are holding a total of €134bn in savings accounts, Mr Noonan said it was time to return to normal shopping habits."What we really need is for people to go into the shops and start buying again,'' said Mr Noonan in a message to those who had the cash to spare.He pointed to consumer and tourist spending as a means to help escape the current crisis.The economy is now showing the strongest growth since the end of 2007, as tentative signs of a recovery emerge on the back of exports.And almost half of people said they felt more optimistic about the prospect of economic recovery under the new Government, in a new Irish Independent/Millward Brown Lansdowne poll.The findings of the opinion poll show 47pc are more optimistic about recovery, 28pc feel the same and 23pc are less optimistic.However, despite more optimistic economic data, consumers remain nervous, and their spending actually dropped in the first quarter of the year.Mr Noonan insisted that recovery could come on the back of changed consumer sentiment."If that starts, with tourists visiting our shores stimulating the retail side, and is followed by our own ordinary citizens going about their shopping and beginning to spend again, then we begin to lift out of the crisis," he said.The Government has tried various measures to lure consumers back into their usual spending patterns, including slashing VAT rates as part of the jobs stimulus plan.

OK before the Mods, consign this to the Economy Forum, how does this appeal apply to Construction.Over the past 6 months I guess I have quoted for 15-20 jobs to be met with the reply.........I need to think about it.......Consumer confidence is so low, no one will make a decision....It's fair to say Construction prices have never been so low, there is great value out there.With houses not selling, the need for extentions, renovations, remains strong....So what can we do to get things moving again, Joe Duffy has his Fiver Friday, but it will take a lot of Fiver Eye Tests to release 10bn into the economy....Consumers must be encouraged to dust down those plans/quotes and make a decision, where funds are available....Architects, contact your clients and tell them of the excellent value available....A typical 20SqM extention at say 20K multiplied by say 100 jobs will inject 2M into our economy...So any thoughts on how to get us off our knees and back to work,

sydthebeat

after consultation with the other moderators, this thread can be allowed to see where it runs to.