Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We should recognise it is to Ireland's credit that we pay such high levels of social welfare payments and it is the single greatest factor in reducing the risk of poverty. Unlike some very well-off European Union countries where the average effect of social transfers is to reduce poverty by approximately 40%, in Ireland the actual reduction through social transfers of the risk of poverty is approximately 60% to 62%, simply because of these very high levels of payments.

If the Deputy is suggesting, as he seems to be, that the Government had the luxury of ignoring the financial crisis we inherited and not providing for sustainable reform of the public finances then I must say the position of his party is a little fantastical because we needed to borrow, and unfortunately still need to borrow, significant sums. I do not know any economist who has been able to suggest a way of the State not borrowing these sums and continuing to pay for health, education, social protection, all other necessary public payments it makes and pay the public servants it employs. I am taken aback at the economic analysis the Deputy has set forth. His unstated suggestion is that somehow or another the country would default and that we would have difficulties which other countries have experienced. While it has been very difficult for many people in Ireland, we are managing to bring the country back to a sustainable recovery path which is why recently we have had the first growth in employment in this country since 2008.

See this speech in context