Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The Secretary General has been very efficient in implementing the cuts to meet the deficit targets. Hats off to him on his success in this regard. Objectively, however, and this is not a matter of opinion, living standards have not risen, employment has not increased and growth has not occurred. In fact, the Department has been obliged to downgrade its growth forecast, even within the last year. If I recall correctly, in the autumn of 2011 the Department was projecting 3% growth for 2013. This projection now has been reduced to 2.2% and while the Secretary General will not provide members with the figure he will give to the Economic Management Council this evening, they can assume it is worse than that. Are these not objective indicators that the growth, jobs and improved living standards side of the Department's mission simply is not being delivered on?