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

I wish to share time with Deputies Stephen S. Donnelly and Catherine Murphy.

Margaret Thatcher was often referred to as somebody who was not for turning, regardless of the impact of her disastrous experiments in neoliberal economics, which set the scene for much of the disaster that she caused, along with Ronald Reagan, which ultimately culminated in the madness that produced the global economic crash. It seems the Government parties have inherited that trait of being not for turning, even when it is increasingly clear that the approach they have adopted to deal with the economic crisis is not working. It is the Minister's job to talk it up and paint a rosy picture. It would be wonderful if one could be enthusiastic about the measures to which he points and say they are hopeful signs amidst the €28 billion worth of pain inflicted on the people since 2008, which he has acknowledged. Billions of euro in adjustments have been introduced by the Government since it came to power and billions of euro more are promised in forthcoming budgets. If there were hopeful signs, one could argue it had all been worthwhile, but the little glimmers to which the Minister has pointed are fast evaporating.

As others have said, we are aware of the human consequences of this year's budget cuts on top of those that preceded them. The victims have been many, including pensioners, lone parents, families through child benefit cuts and those who look after the disabled and the vulnerable. The rent cap has not been mentioned and the disaster that has resulted in my area, with people being increasingly driven into homelessness week after week.

By the way, if the Minister is looking for savings that would not cost anything, I have told him repeatedly that if we built some council houses and put into State coffers the rent revenues which currently go into the pockets of private landlords we could not only save money but would generate some employment and deal with the housing crisis. The Minister consistently ignores that plea.

Those are the human costs. At the macro-level on which the Minister has concentrated I do not see how he can sustain his view that the plan is working and that he should not turn away from the path of austerity. He says the employment situation is stabilising; I put it to him that the tiny reduction in the level of unemployment can be explained for the most part by the very high levels of emigration

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