Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

We will follow it. I heard the Taoiseach say that for every 100,000 people who are unemployed, social welfare payments of approximately €1 billion need to be made. That figure increases to €1.2 billion when one considers that 120,000 people have lost their jobs under this Administration so far. When one factors in secondary benefits and the loss of tax revenue, it seems we are talking about a ballpark figure of between €2 billion and €2.5 billion. That figure will double if an additional 120,000 people lose their jobs over the course of the next year. That big gap is causing the problem in the public finances. That is where moneys are being lost. When people lose their jobs, problems arise in the public finances. The Taoiseach has not been able to tell the House with any accuracy what the extent of that problem is, or what are the future projections in respect of it. He has not said anything about putting people back to work. The Taoiseach has spoken in general terms, in response to Deputy Kenny, about a macro-economic plan, micro initiatives and a national effort. However, we have seen none of this. A debate on the economy will begin in the House tomorrow morning but the Government has produced no plan, no strategy and no proposals. The Taoiseach told us his big idea was to have discussions with the social partners. I am all in favour of this and have been suggesting since last October that such discussions take place. The Taoiseach convened a meeting of the social partners last Friday. No Minister attended that meeting and the Taoiseach had no proposals for the social partners. Apparently, the Taoiseach has today given them some type of framework document which contains no specifics.

The public understands that we are in an economic crisis, that many people are losing their jobs and that measures must be taken to address the problem. The difficulty we have is that the Taoiseach, as Head of Government, even after a six-week break to enable him to do it——

See this speech in context