Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Poverty is a serious issue in the State. It is very difficult. People have been pummelled in the past eight years with the reduction in living standards. This is mainly because people lost their jobs. There may have been two people in a given house, providing for themselves. They may have bought a house and had a mortgage. Perhaps one person lost a job and this put them under incredible pressure. That was real and it got worse. However, the way out is not to reverse every cut or put money into the social welfare system exclusively. The way out is to get people a job so they can get up in the morning, go to work, bring the children to school and provide for themselves. That is the discussion we should have in this House rather than a fantasy-land discussion about pouring more and more money into social welfare. The real issue is that we should be getting people jobs. That should be our priority. Then, when we manage to increase employment, we should acknowledge it rather than decry it and almost feel politically defeated. If things get better, those in Sinn Féin might not get as many votes, because they will not be able to preach their misery in the way they have been doing in recent years.

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