Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

Tragically, 440,000 people are unemployed in the State. The Taoiseach has pointedly refused to answer questions about the number of jobs this initiative will create and the projections for employment and unemployment rates in the next 12 months. Does the Minister for Finance agree this contrasts sharply with Fine Gael's claim during the election that in its first 100 days programme it would announce a multibillion euro investment in infrastructure to create 100,000 jobs? What has happened in the meantime?

The amount to be raised by the pension levy announced this week is pathetically inadequate to create the tens of thousands of jobs needed. What has happened to the major infrastructural spending outlined in the programme for Government? The new Government will maintain the cuts to capital funding introduced by the previous Fianna Fáil Government. What figures is the Minister working on for the creation of new jobs? What does he believe the unemployment rate will be 12 months from now?

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