Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I welcome the fact that the Government has belatedly recognised the need for a new budget to deal with the difficulties in our public finances. This is a matter for which the Fine Gael Party has been calling for the past number of weeks. I recognise the belated acceptance of that.

Dealing with the public finances is only one element of what is at play here. It is becoming increasingly evident that the consequences of failure to deal with the public finances directly impacts on the lives, hopes, plans and dreams of many people who are now facing unemployment or who are unemployed. Today in Bausch and Lomb in Waterford many families are waiting for news in respect of their futures. The briefings that were given today to the members of the Opposition parties, including Deputies Bruton and Burton, clearly indicate that the Government will have to look for approximately €5 billion gross between income tax and spending cuts, which is a truly phenomenal amount at this stage of the year.

I understand that the unemployment figures are due to be published very shortly. I am sure the Taoiseach has been briefed on them. Will he indicate to the House, as he did on the last occasion, the numbers of unemployed at the end of February and whether they exceed the record level of unemployment of 327,800 in January? Will he comment on that?

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