Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The message the Taoiseach is giving the House in response to what we all know are changed and changing economic circumstances — that the Government will continue to do what it has been doing — is depressing. The idea that the situation is due to international circumstances and has nothing to do with us domestically is wrong. To paraphrase our good friend, the former American President, Bill Clinton, "it is not the international economy, stupid". This is about events in the domestic economy to which the decline in revenue, capital gains tax and VAT is directly related.

The unemployment figure is 200,000. When it was 200,000 some 20 years ago, people marched in the streets about it. People are losing their jobs. The problem must be addressed by new initiatives. I will suggest a couple. First, building workers losing their jobs in residential construction could build schools. We have a schools programme that could be accelerated and the skills required in building schools are approximately the same as those required in residential construction.

Second, there could be a training and upskilling programme through FÁS and the educational institutions so that we do not make the mistake made previously, that is, people going onto the dole when they lose their jobs. We should have a system whereby people who lose their jobs can avail of opportunities to retrain and upskill.

Third, it is manifestly clear to all of us that cuts are being effected in essential public services——

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