Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

I was shocked by the statistics contained in the pre-budget outlook and the ESRI report. Unemployment has risen from 3.7% in 2001 when it bottomed out to 4.7% today. The Government seems to have thrown in the towel when it comes to employment and has clearly admitted that unemployment will rise to 5.5% next year. The latter will mean that there will be in the region of 200,000 on the live register which in the past was seen as a serious psychological barrier. By stating employment growth will fall to 1.25% in the coming years, the Government is effectively saying the number of jobs that will be created in 2008, 2009 and 2010 will, in total, be smaller than the number created this year. Essentially, its forecasts are suggesting a serious deterioration in employment figures. Does the Minister accept the projections put forward by the Department of Finance and the ESRI? Does he accept that the Government has thrown in the towel in respect of employment? Has he examined international comparisons and discovered what is obvious, namely, that our unemployment rate will overtake those of our major competitors next year?

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