Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)

I agree with the Deputy. As he stated, this is an important achievement that the Government has to try to sustain. The Ireland in which I began my education did not have this level of employment. There is much we know we need to do better on and every TD on the Government benches is aware of the difficulties that we face and that we committed to trying to deal with. At the same time, having so many people at work is not only good for those in the jobs, it also creates the resources we need. Those resources, in turn, allow us to invest and spend. That is why the Government has number of decisions ahead of it. In that context, I refer to the work the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Deputy Chambers is doing in respect of the national development plan, the work of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Burke, and the important work of the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Lawless.

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