Michael McCarthy (Labour)

Much has been said in the House about voting according to conscience in the past week or two. The reality is that if Government Deputies and Senators had exercised their consciences, €22 billion in taxpayers' money would not have been poured into the zombie bank, Anglo Irish Bank, to prop up the supporters of those Government Members in both Houses who do not have a conscience. How can the Government, particularly the Green Party which has attempted to flex its muscles on a Bill to ban stag hunting, a Bill of show over substance, not have a policy on unemployment? Unemployment presents the biggest crisis the country has faced in recent years. I refer, in particular, to youth unemployment, for which the figures are absolutely startling. The figure for young jobseekers has risen by over 6,000 and now stands at 91,646. The Government has increased registration fees in third level institutions and wants to reintroduce third level fees which were abolished by Ms Niamh Bhreathnach when she was Minister for Education and Skills. The level of unemployment has tripled and the Government has cut social welfare payments for the under-25s, in some cases by half. That is absolutely shameful. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, the Taoiseach or the Minister for Finance, to the House to be held accountable, for once, for one of the biggest crises the country has faced in modern times.