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

I am not interested in the fiscal target of 8.6%, I am interested in growth and jobs and that is what my question was about. The Minister should not deliberately misinterpret my question by referring to the Irish economy. I referred in particular to Christine Lagarde's comments about the entire eurozone. Ireland's growth projection is down, as is the case for Europe and Germany. Who will buy our exports if consumer demand is depressed right across the European economy, even in the large supposedly wealthy states where demand is also contracting? If people do not have an income because of the austerity already imposed and the further austerity demanded by the fiscal compact and if investment is collapsing because large businesses do not believe it is safe to invest in a depressed economic environment, from where will the jobs and growth come?

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