Dan Boyle (Green Party)

The capital stimulus, which is greater than in any other European country, even if it involves catch up in infrastructure, is an economic stimulus in its own right.

Major risks are being taken by other economies. The €800 billion stimulus being taken in the United States is in an economy that is already in debt to the tune of $1 trillion. We must ensure we do not get into a difficulty in terms of current expenditure and the type of burden we will place on our children. A debate on those grounds must take that into account also.

While the debate so far has hung on the difficulties regarding employment and increasing unemployment, we must ask ourselves serious questions as a society as to what that will entail. I am of a generation that grew up in the 1980s. I know the meaning of unemployment. It is about long periods of unemployment and the soullessness of unemployment. The Minister for Finance has been honest enough to admit that in the coming year an additional 100,000 people will be out of work.