Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy's party is doing very well in today's opinion polls and it is peddling the notion that we can make substantial reductions magically, without impacting on expenditure. I note the party is in favour of the quantum of reduction. I have explained to the House that more than 80% of our current expenditure goes on the three pivotal social areas of health, education and social protection. We have protected those to the greatest extent possible and our focus has been on getting people back to work. We have been very successful with that. As I have indicated, there are 76,600 more people at work; they are not leaving or packing bags to go. We are not massaging figures, and there are now more people at work than at any time since 2009. We will continue this strategy for young people and everybody else, including single parents, who should not be confined to receiving social protection. They should be given an opportunity to use all their talents and work in this economy. We are determined to help such people break free of any dependence and allow them express their talents to the full by having a job in this society.

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