Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)

I am sure the Taoiseach will agree that one of the most pressing issues facing people is the massive unemployment crisis, the fact that close to half a million people are without work and many are leaving because there is no work. The programme for Government stated that job creation was central to any recovery strategy. Given that the public sector recruitment embargo means a slow grinding attrition of jobs, demand is being depressed in the economy because of cuts in income and pay and the bank recapitalisation means the loss of tens of thousands of jobs in the banking sector, where does the Taoiseach see his commitment to job creation in the programme for Government being realised? How will the Taoiseach create jobs as he committed to do in the programme for Government given that everything happening in terms of austerity is working in the opposite direction and is leading to a jobs massacre?

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