Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

Did I hear the Minister correctly when he said that the Taoiseach spoke at the Dublin Chamber of Commerce in approximate terms about growth? His growth indicator was half a point below what the Minister and his Department had previously indicated. Is this a new language? When there is a dramatic change in the growth forecast, the Taoiseach is speaking in approximate terms. Presumably, however, the Minister speaks in more definitive terms. Is the Minister aware that Davy Stockbrokers today downgraded the growth rate forecast to 2% for the rest of the year?

Is the Minister satisfied with the monuments and milestones he has created so far in this Government as Tánaiste and Minister for Finance? He is heading for the first budget deficit since the mid-1990s. Unemployment is anticipated to grow at the fastest rate since 1980. It is almost back to the days of Charles Haughey and the disasters of 1977. The number of unemployed is projected to grow by in excess of 26,000. We are anticipating, under the Minister's watch, losing 23,000 construction jobs, while tax receipts are falling at the steepest levels since the early 1990s. With regard to the difference in estimate between the Minister and the Taoiseach, what, if anything, have they agreed to do to address the very steep decline in our economic fortunes? The Minister mentioned the election earlier. He promised during the election campaign to keep the boom times going. The boom is obviously over so what alternatives does the Minister have?

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