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

The Minister said he discussed the macroeconomic outlook with the troika. The discussions are continuing until Thursday. Is there any recognition on the part of the troika, given the deteriorating economic situation in Europe, the fact that this is the third quarter in a row with economic contraction across Europe and there has been a return of the debt crisis, that its austerity agenda is not working, either here or in Europe, and that alternative strategies need to be considered? It was reported prior to the meeting that they would discuss in detail so-called labour activation measures. In his discussions with the troika either at this meeting or at previous meetings, was the decision to cut the lone parent payment once a child reached the age of seven years considered a labour activation measure? Lone parents maintain that the plan to cut off payments after the child has reached the age of seven years will, in fact, drive lone parents out of the workplace and into full dependency on social welfare. Was this matter discussed with the troika?

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