FINE GAEL councillors and election candidates were briefed behind closed doors about a plan for local authorities to develop business support 'one-stop shops' at the party's ard fheis this weekend.

Pioneered by Phil Hogan, the party's environment, heritage and local government spokesman, the policy aims to revolutionise business support in Ireland at a local level.

Fine Gael believes local authorities do not have enough input into enterprise development in their areas and proposes a 'Business and Employment' section in each authority.

Hogan maintains the new body could help new and existing businesses to avoid dealing with a plethora of national and local agencies such as Fás, Pobal, Leader, county enterprise boards and quangos that duplicate services. "These services would be best provided at the level closest to the citizen and the business, at local level," he said.

Attacking the taoiseach, Hogan said: "Brian Cowen said we lived in a house where the fundamentals are sound. I am going to pitch in the front garden as I am afraid the house will fall down."

In keeping with the employment theme, finance spokesman Richard Bruton said the taxpayer should not be burdened with the banks' toxic property loans. He warned that Ireland cannot tax its way out of the recession and called for public sector reform in Tuesday's budget.

The party's transport spokesman Fergus O'Dowd suggested that a re-energised and slimmed-down National Development Plan, with labour-intensive projects and a focus on essential infrastructure, could create jobs.

Leo Varadkar said that Ireland "has to trade our way out of the recession" and our first priority should be to "make Ireland competitive again". He proposed forcing ESB, Bord Gáis, CIE and other public bodies to drop prices to the EU average.

Elsewhere, James Reilly, health spokesman, branded the HSE as "bloated bureaucracy that eats money" and said the decisions to cancel the cervical cancer vaccine and postpone a unit for cystic fibrosis sufferers were "two immoral, heartless, cold decisions".