Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I am answering questions posed by the leader of the Labour Party.

While I acknowledge and accept that the rate of acceleration in unemployment is alarming, indicates the scale of the crisis with which we must deal and compounds the issue, it must be recognised that we are facing into our difficulties knowing that far more people are at work than ever before. The number in employment reached over 2 million at one stage, but this has now dropped back to 1.85 million.

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