Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I am giving the facts. If the Deputies do not want to hear them, that is their problem. With regard to higher education, more than €2 billion will be invested this year. That is the sort of investment we are putting in at a time we have a record high deficit of 11% to contend with and we have maintained a 5% capital investment programme. That work is maintaining 80,000 jobs in the economy on a range of infrastructure projects, including school building. The school building programme will employ 7,500 people this year. That is what is being done by Government.

In respect of the live register, 70,000 people are in casual or part-time employment and they are on the register for perhaps two days a week as well as being employed for three days. A total of 279,000 people are on the live register five days per week while 20,000 provide credited contributions and do not obtain a payment and 75,000 have either been suspended or having their claims processed at the moment. A total of 22,000 of the 75,000 claimants are on supplementary welfare allowance, which gives an indication of those who will qualify in respect of the applications before the officials. That all indicates clearly there is a great deal of movement on and off the register. It is not the same people and I acknowledge an unemployment rate of 12.7% compares with 1995, the last time the rate was 12.7%. Deputy Quinn was Minister for Finance at the time.

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