Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Let us have our differences but let us not get into a stupid debate or descend into the foolishness of suggesting there is an alternative Government available to this country in the months ahead that will neither increase tax nor cut welfare during the course of the coming year. It is patent nonsense and it needs to be seen for what it is.

As Taoiseach, I am deeply conscious that the adjustments in social welfare expenditure in this budget will affect the living standards of many of our citizens in the short term. However, if we put off these changes, there will be a greater burden in the future on all those who can least bear it. What is most important now is that we can sustain a strong welfare system into the future. These adjustments mean we have cut back slightly but they protect people from the risk of more severe cuts in the future.

We are keeping those who have lost their jobs as close to the labour market as possible. We are providing 15,000 extra activation places at a cost of €200 million on a skills and internship programme, a work placement programme and a community work placement scheme which supplement the existing level of activity. Since this crisis began, we have doubled the number of training places from 66,000 to over 130,000. To this can be added the thousands of people on the back to education scheme as well as the private sector labour activation scheme introduced by the Tánaiste when she held that Department, which is a good scheme and one which can be expanded and be part of how we deal with this situation for people who want to stay active and up-skill. Under the Department of Social Protection, there are 55,000 more places for people on community employment schemes, the community support programme and the rural social scheme.

Taking all of that, there are 205,000 places, together with the 15,000 announced here. When one considers that 290,000 people in this country are signing on for unemployment full-time, five days a week, it gives an indication of the level of response we are trying to achieve in very straitened and difficult circumstances.

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