Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

In the Taoiseach's contribution to the debate, he spoke eloquently of economic growth, job creation and tackling youth unemployment. Those statements ring hollow in the current climate in this country, particularly when we examine the mid-term fiscal statement published by the Government on 13 November, which indicated the Government had accepted the failure of its job creation proposals and targets. The target of 102,000 additional jobs by 2015 was reduced to 67,000 in April and to 18,000 additional jobs on 13 November. The CSO shows that in the year to the end of June 2012 there has been a net reduction of 34,000 jobs. This is the current situation and the Taoiseach's statement rings hollow.

Unemployment arises because of the Government's embrace of austerity, its cuts to services, its increased taxation and because it is paying the private debts of other people, which are not ours. I believe, as the Acting Chairman, Deputy Mathews, has said, that it is time to stop being the best boy in the class and to play hardball with the European Union. The conduct of the last Government, composed of Fianna Fáil and the Green Party, and the continued situation of this Government, with Fine Gael and Labour, means we have lost sovereignty. In the words of James Connolly, the reconquest of Ireland must be started now. The Irish people must take back their sovereignty. Three things need to be done to begin the process. The first is to stop all payments of the outstanding €36 billion in bonds held by Irish banks. We need to stop the payment of promissory notes and to stop the three card trick we had last March where we effectively borrowed the money to pay off the promissory note. We also need to freeze payments to the ESM as we have been told the instrument will only deal with future situations. I understand we are to pay €254 million to the fund shortly. Ireland is being humiliated in the EU. Greece has received a write-down of €100 billion and we also need a write-down of debt.

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