Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

The people in the sector do not know what is happening, have no idea what their costs will be and have no sense of direction. The Government has an obligation to provide clarity to people creating jobs in this country because they are not getting it at the moment. The only clarity on job targets we received from the Government is that the projected increase in employment has been reduced by 40,000 as of the April review of the Government's target. We now acknowledge that the Government cannot create as many jobs as it said it would create a year ago. Does the Taoiseach accept that an increase in PRSI is the same as an increase in income tax? Does the Taoiseach accept that the speech of the Minister for Social Protection was not idle speculation but was putting a core question to the Taoiseach and to the Fine Gael Party that PRSI should be increased, notwithstanding any pre-election commitment or commitment in the programme for Government not to increase income tax?

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