Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

According to media reports, couples on welfare earn more than people on the minimum wage. Irish small and medium enterprises confirm that even when they offer rates of as much as €15 per hour, they cannot compete with social welfare.

At a time when 460,000 people are unemployed here, why did we offer 6,600 work permits this year to people from outside the EU? Does the Minister agree with the comments by his colleague, Deputy O'Rourke, that it is acceptable to cut young people's social welfare payments or to allow them to do nixers?

See this speech in context