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

Is it not a fact that we are facing an unemployment catastrophe and that, since the Government entered into office, there has not been the slightest improvement in this disastrous situation, given that more than 14% of people are unemployed? Is it not the truth that the only reason we are not facing a far worse unemployment situation is because tens of thousands of people have been forced to leave this country by the Government's failure to live up to its campaign slogan, that is, "Get the country working"? Its inability is due to its disastrous decision to adhere to the policies of bailing out banks at the expense of our country's economic future and citizens. Is this not the reality? The Government has not made a single dent in the unemployment situation. Hundreds of more jobs will go today and shops and businesses are closing the length and breadth of the country.

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