Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will deal with that point later. It has never been our contention that the Government has been doing nothing. The evidence shows that its policies and strategy are failing. Last year the Taoiseach promised the creation of 100,000 net new jobs by 2016. Last year the economy lost 12,800 full-time jobs, with an increase of 14,000 part-time jobs. The increase in the number of jobs was on the basis of an increase in the number of part-time jobs. At the current rate of job creation, it will take 83 years to achieve the Government's target of creating 100,000 jobs and 250 years to eradicate unemployment in the State. These are the statistics.

In many ways, the Minister of State has been given an impossible job.

See this speech in context