Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I do not know who is going to provide us with that money. The only people on earth willing to give us money, at the rates affordable to this State, is the troika, which has laid down hard and tough measures with which we must live. We can tell them, as I heard some of the individuals opposite suggest, to take a hike. If one wished to play Russian roulette with this country and its economy and destroy its economy, that is the sort of take one would have. However, one must be honest with people in this regard. The Government is working towards reducing Ireland's deficit to 3% by 2015 and has laid out the manner in which this will be done. At the same time, however, it will take innovative job-creating measures. Another jobs strategy will be published shortly by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.

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