Paschal Donohoe (Fine Gael)

Yesterday's publication by the Central Statistics Office of national income figures must be debated in the House. They indicate that national income shrunk earlier this year by between 7% of 10%. If this trend continues for the year, it will shatter the country.

The figures emphasise two crucial points, the first of which is on economics. When other economies are showing signs of bottoming out or small shoots of growth, our economy is going in the opposite direction. The second point is that the responsibility for this difference sits with the Government. This slump is definitively and markedly worse than the slumps being experienced by other European economies.