Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The second point I want to make in regard to the jobs situation is that, as I have pointed out, the measures we have taken, including the pension levy and other difficult decisions, which are impositions on our people and all of which were opposed in this House, were the means by which we have improved our unit labour costs vis-À-vis other competitors by 7% this year alone. This has been commented upon by everybody in the international community as a major achievement by our economy in the current circumstances. If we are going to get into a competitive position when the upturn comes in the world economy, we have to make those decisions. They are difficult decisions that impose difficulties for our people, but the Government is implementing these policies for those reasons.

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