Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

The European semester, which was alluded to approvingly by the Minister, is supposedly about improving economic governance and so on. From my perspective, it is simply about subjecting the Irish economy and the Irish people's economic situation to the surveillance and policing of the overlords in the European Union - the troika - to make sure they continue to wear the yoke of austerity that has been insisted on by them in order to pay off their European bankers and bondholders and save their financial system. I do not want a gloss put on the matter without comment.

If there is real recovery, then why have the people not felt it? Ordinary working-class people have found themselves on a treadmill. They have not noted a significant improvement in their living standards in the past three or six months, which has been the tune of the spin from the Government and the media.

We have been told there has been a 50% increase in employment. Every single job that is created is essential and welcome, but I want to make sure we are talking about reality. Can the Minister comment on the analysis by some people that up to 50% of the increase in employment is a result of a recategorisation of workers - for example, by the use of various categories such as self-employed? The jobs have been recategorised as job creation.

Very many of the new jobs are in low-paid employment in low-paid sectors. What is the implication of that situation for the economy into the future? Has the Minister adjusted his income tax projections for the Exchequer for 2014 in view of the improved figures that were not expected by officialdom? Has there been an upward estimate in income tax and even value added tax? If there are more people at work, hopefully they will have the ability to spend more.