Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I only have a few minutes to address the Minister across the floor. The real nub of how we will overcome our terrible economic woes is contained in the motion. I thank Deputy Perry, who believes in this motion. As he drafted it, he knows what he is saying when we debate putting people back to work.

If necessary, Fine Gael must get a point across to the Minister. If he has not got it by this stage, God help us. Where getting people back to work right, left and centre is concerned, there is no other show in town. Some 450,000 people are out of work. If we were able to get 100,000 back into work in a short period through this mechanism, as Fine Gael asserted in its NewERA document, can the Minister imagine the effect on the country's confidence? It would reduce the cost of social welfare payments dramatically and, above all else, restore dignity to people who wanted to work anyway. For the 300,000 people still unemployed, at least they could see something happening, but they cannot see anything happening now. Can the Minister imagine a return to job creation?

Thousands of young people are being crucified because they listened to the banks, Ministers and taoisigh over the years going on about a soft landing and that the prices they were paying for houses were worth it. Imagine the crucifixion of so many young families across the country because of that.

I will use the last minute or so at my disposal to say something.

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