Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

When the Government and its colleagues in Europe continually abase themselves in front of the market speculators and show not a glimmer of fight against the markets railroading economies and Europeans' living standards, is it any wonder that charlatans like La Senza or vulture capitalists like Lion Capital can abuse 120 female workers by telling them on a Monday night after they have left work that they should not return in the morning because their jobs are gone and that they will need to go to the taxpayer in 12 months time for their statutory rights? Does the Taoiseach not see the link?

In saying that the Taoiseach is championing jobs, does he not recognise that the Government's austerity programme of taking billions of euro out of the economy is slaughtering the domestic economy, including the retail and other sectors, and will lead to an ongoing disaster unless the Government changes course?

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