Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy raised several issues. Dealing with Cabinet sub-committees in the normal structure of the Dáil week on a Tuesday and Wednesday, I found it became impossible to get anything done because of this kind of business, questions, other debates and all of that taking up time. Accordingly, I devote one Monday in the month to Cabinet sub-committee meetings from eight in the morning right through. If necessary, I will try to fit in one that has to be recalled for other reasons during the course of a normal working week, which is not that easy to do. This structure has worked well in that priorities and problems can be identified and one can request and demand that Ministers and Departments respond within specific time limits to these matters.

One cannot tackle the problem of low-income families and child poverty as effectively as one would like until one has an economy that is functioning strongly and will provide one with the resources to do that. That is why the Government’s mandate was to fix the public finances and put the country back to work. That is why I am pleased that 104,000 new jobs have been created since the action plan was published in 2012 and we expect 40,000 to be created this year and again for the following two years. By 2018, whatever party is in office, we will practically have full employment and anyone who wants a job will get one.

Generally, the best opportunity to deal with low-income problems is a job. That is why one of the first decisions the Government made in dealing with the troika was to restore the minimum wage. I was explaining to the Greek Prime Minister last night that when the troika demanded of and dictated to Deputy Martin’s Government that this is what it has to do-----

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