Fine Gael and Labour's job in the months ahead is to convince voters who have yet to feel the effects of recovery that the upturn in the economy is real, Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton has said.

In an interview with The Irish Times, Mr Bruton said recovery was now being felt across the country and was not just focused around Dublin and other urban areas.

He also said the jobs being created in the Irish economy are not just low paid positions, but well paid secure employment.

“There is no doubt that the recovery isn’t felt by every family but what is encouraging I think is that we know it is every sector, it is every region.”

Three quarters of the jobs created in the past 12 months were outside of Dublin, he said.

“It’s across all occupations so it’s not just the high paid or the low paid, it is broad based but there is no doubt that, even with 126,000 people back at work, that doesn’t impact every family.

Generating resources

“It is a challenge to explain to people who haven’t felt that, that the 126,000 extra jobs may not have knocked on your door but what that is doing is generating resources in our communities, it is seeing regions recover, it is seeing tax coffers fuller than they ever were, it is seeing restaurants and bars attracting people again. That’s our job to sell it.”

He also acknowledged that “people still feel very put upon, very squeezed by the recession”.

The political challenge for the Government parties will be to “create the contrast” with the Opposition.

“What’s the contrast, what’s the alternative offer? And you have people who have created it or the people who have resisted every change or have no interest in the responsiveness of policy that is needed to make it work.”

Working operation

He also said it would be “madness” for Fine Gael to entertain the idea of going into government with

Fianna Fáil

and insisted the only option on the table is a return of the current Government.

“This is our offer, we are not entertaining any of the others. We are selling a working operation. There is no reason why we should entertain some other brand, particularly failed brands, and give them oxygen of any sort. We are selling what we believe is not only something that has brought the country a significant step of the journey but has the potential to bring it the rest of the journey.”

When asked about recent poor polling figures for both Fine Gael and Labour, Mr Bruton said the electorate was not fully engaged yet.

“My sense is the public aren’t engaged with a choice process at the moment. For them, it has been a very difficult journey, just as it has been for us.

“They’re not thinking in terms of a general election choice at this point. They are very much reacting to where they find themselves. That’s what you expect at this stage in the cycle. For us, as it comes closer to an election, we have a very clear offer. ”