Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

The Taoiseach mentioned a number of mechanisms for a review of the programme for Government. It would have been helpful if his answer was circulated at the time so that we could get the detail of that and ask him more precise questions. Regarding the implementation of the programme for Government, what benchmarks has the Taoiseach set with regard to critical areas of that programme? Regarding the massive crisis of 440,000 of our people wasting in unemployment, has the Taoiseach a benchmark as to how much reduced that unemployment rate should be within six or 12 months of his Government taking office? It is critical that we have such answers because his programme on job creation is extremely vague.

With regard to other issues, what confidence can we have in the Government living up to its claims in the programme for Government to having a modern, fair, socially inclusive and equal society by the end of the Taoiseach's term if his Minister for Finance, within a week of the formation of Government, has jettisoned a critical aspect of the programme called burden sharing requiring the losing gambling bond holders not to get their money back from the Irish people? Since that has already been jettisoned, what confidence can we have in other aspects of the Taoiseach's programme?

Finally, the critical issue of the debt foisted on the Irish people as a result of the reckless speculation by bankers raises the question, according to the Taoiseach's Minister for Finance, of the sustainability of this country meeting the debt requirements. What benchmark does the Taoiseach have on that as a Government? For example, what payment of interest would he consider beyond which the State cannot go? What is the total amount etc.? The Taoiseach must be very precise on these issues.

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