Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

They worry about ordinary things. They worry about putting food on the table, paying their mortgages and paying their electricity bills, and at this time of year they begin to worry about providing for Christmas. If they are lucky enough to have a job they worry about holding onto it, and if they have not got a job they worry about finding one. It is only when people see things getting a little easier that they will accept that the economy is recovering in a way that is meaningful and holds relevance for them.

Halfway through its term in government, this is a good time for the Government to take stock of the economy, of where it said the economy would be at this time and of where we actually are today. I believe the fairest and most important measures of economic performance are growth, jobs and the public finances. On growth, the economy has not performed anywhere near the level the Minister and his colleagues predicted it would when they first came to office approximately two and a half years ago. Back then, the Minister said the economy would grow by 5.5% from the beginning of 2012 to the end of the current year.

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