Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I do not accept the idea that we are fixated with one aspect rather than all aspects of the problem. We have to acknowledge to the Irish public today that during the course of this year, as we see a contraction in the economy, we will see more unemployment. We must be straight with people and say this will happen. This is also incorporated in the figures we have been discussing. That is not to say for one moment, however, that we are being defeatist. We will do everything we can to ensure we have 1.7 million rather than 1.5 million people working. The number of people working in the economy ten years ago was 1.2 million. We brought that figure up to 2 million.

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