Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Since our last Leaders' Questions last Wednesday, there have been a number of significant developments in the economy. Disturbing and bad Exchequer figures have been published and, today, the ESRI's quarterly review was published. It told us the country will be in recession this and next year to a higher degree than previously predicted. The review also predicts that unemployment will rise to 8% in 2009. The live register figures have been published and show that almost 80,000 more people are on it than at this time last year. Yesterday, the recently privatised Aer Lingus announced it is to add another 1,500 people to the live register.

When the Dáil resumed after the summer break, I asked the Taoiseach whether he could identify any initiative taken by the Government to deal with the problem of rising unemployment. At the time, he could not. I have read the Government amendment to be tabled to the Labour Party motion for tonight's Private Members' debate, but I cannot find in it any new Government initiative to deal with the problem of unemployment. What new initiative, if any, is the Government planning to deal with the increasingly serious problem of growing unemployment?

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