Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

It will shrink the economy and take more money out of it. The dithering approach of the Government, with one policy this week and another in two weeks' time, is adding to the decline in confidence in the Irish economy, both domestically and internationally.

People are losing their jobs, businesses are declining and there is a huge drop in consumer activity. Much of this is due to the lack of confidence in our economy. People need hope that there is a way through the economic recession and that we will get out of it. Unfortunately, it is difficult for people to have such hope when the Government does not appear to know what it is doing. All the signals the Government is sending out are affecting the confidence of people, both in their spending and in their hopes for employment.

The Government does not have a pro-employment strategy.

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