Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

Will the Leader facilitate a debate next week on employment and the employment strategies the Government may have? Last night the Minister for Finance said that the banks of this country were orphans that had nowhere to go but to the State. It is time that the Government began to mother its people. The Irish need to be mothered now and they need a Government to show leadership. It is back to basics time. For 11 weeks during the summer the only contribution made by the Minister was to talk to Joe Duffy and blame him.

As Senator Fitzgerald eloquently pointed out, unemployment is now at its highest level in 11 years. Many people in the electronic assembly sector in Cork city are losing their jobs. We have not addressed that. We must have a debate on unemployment, re-training and the cost of doing business in this country. If we have that debate next week what may be achieved is that the Government will put action before rhetoric. I hope the Leader will allow this debate because we need action. Thousands of people are now unable to survive as a consequence of a lethargic, arrogant selfish Government.