Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

Where is the Minister's jobs plan for the people who are out of work and who are taking the plane and the boat again to emigrate and leave the country where they were educated and had reasonable hope of making a living for themselves and their families? For the Minister to throw dust in the eyes of those people and have nothing to say to them is little short of a national disgrace. The Minister spoke about the sacrifices of Irish workers in both the public and private sectors on his €4 billion adjustment. That €4 billion adjustment, as EUROSTAT confirmed, was directly countered by the €4 billion the Minister put into Anglo Irish Bank which is a total waste of money. I acknowledge that on 29 September I told the Minister's officials there were problems with Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide Building Society. The Minister chose to believe in the crony friends of Fianna Fáil whereas I did not. If the Minister accuses me of that, I accept that accusation but where is the Minister's jobs plan? I ask him to show the House his jobs plan and to give hope to people who are out of work.

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