Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

We are hearing about the international situation again. This is one of the excuses which is always trotted out. Of course, we are in a more difficult international environment economically but unemployment in Ireland is rising much faster than in other countries. I believe we are only one of three of the EU 15 in which unemployment is rising. Does the Minister of State acknowledge that and that unemployment in Ireland is now higher than it is in the Netherlands, Denmark, Britain, Australia and America? The Minister of State should not hide behind Italy or France. He should at least acknowledge that the situation in Ireland is worse than it is in many of our key competitors. Singapore and Israel are the other examples.

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