John Cregan (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)

To achieve full employment, we needed to bring thousands of foreign nationals into our country to work in our service industries. For one reason or another, the 130,000 people signing on were not in a position to take up employment. As such, I always take 130,000 people away from the overall figure. I am not playing games, but being honest. While those people are considered to be signing on to the live register, they are not in a position to take up or are incapable of taking up employment, in many instances through no fault of their own. We should take this factor into account.

We must link the able-bodied people benefiting from the social welfare system with the provision of services locally, be it working for local authorities or supporting voluntary organisations. We must tie those people in. We must get them out of their beds and houses in the morning and into places of work. We must give them their dignity back and provide them with incomes. During the course of this year, the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, and the Government could do much with this capacity to put people back into the workplace.

As with all colleagues, I receive requests day after day from people who are trying to join community employment schemes. To them, the benefit is the restoration of their dignity and the ability to contribute to their communities. The more we do of this, the better. It is a step in the right direction. A CE scheme might not be permanent, full-time, pensionable employment, but it would take someone off the live register, give him or her a place of work and allow him or her to make a contribution to the local community and the country's economy.

Greece must make tough decisions. It does not deny that it told the European Commission lies. I understand that a part of the reason was that it was an election year. Why would the European Commission not be ultra careful in ensuring against a recurrence among the other member states? This is not just about Greece. Instead, it is about the European Community and its further development and security. If people behave in the same manner as the Greeks, I am not surprised that the EU, which has put a rescue package for the Greek economy in place, wants to ensure proper policies are pursued. I have no difficulty in this regard.

We are the masters of our destiny. We will control it at all times. Next September, the Cabinet will agree a budget that will be introduced by the Minister for Finance in the House. The EU is not telling us it wants to see the detail of the budget. Rather, it wants to ensure we are making good on our commitment to the European Central Bank, ECB, and the EU. Last year, we committed to removing €4 billion from our economy. We did it. Our commitment this year is €3 billion. We will do it. I understand €1 billion in capital savings has already been identified, that there will be additional taxation and that further savings will be made across every spectrum. Any Minister who is asked about savings in his or her Department would be right not to rule anything out. It is the only way a Minister can operate. He or she must examine the Department's budget and then make a decision. I would have no difficulty with the Commission telling us that it wants to ensure we are honouring our commitments because I do not doubt we will do so. I have no reason to worry in this regard either, since it is not as if we are giving away our sovereignty or as if the Commission will tell us how to run our business. The Commission and our colleagues in Europe are paying the piper. For our benefit and that of every other member state, Europe must ensure the Greeks behave.

While we are making a contribution that we can ill afford and the National Treasury Management Agency will source funds of up to €1.3 billion in loans that Ireland will make available over three years, we will receive a repayment of interest. We got no return on previous bailouts that were made in this country over the years.

See this speech in context