Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

I appreciate the reply. In the Finnish economy, the gap between the growth recovery and the reduction in unemployment was five years. If the Taoiseach decides not to invest in the social economy, demand collapses as evidenced by what is happening across Europe. Will the Taoiseach consider whether Europe 2020 becomes merely aspirational because of the obduracy in sticking to strategies of economic adjustment that are collapsing employment and depressing demand?

Regarding the world millennium development goals, the UN meeting in September will hear that specific goals are not being achieved in specific parts of the world. The issue is whether there will be additionality in the pledges and additionality in the delivery and whether people can move from one non-performing part of the world across each of the aid goals.

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