Michael D'Arcy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the good news about the unemployment rate which is down to a little over 11% from a high of 15%. However, the members of the public would not forgive us if we decided to take our foot off the accelerator. We must ensure that we refocus and re-energise our efforts to make sure that we get that figure down to single digits and that the country gets closer to full employment. I suggest - we have done this before in this House - that we set aside a period of time for a debate on ideas for the forthcoming budget. The budget will be finalised in two weeks' time. We should take the opportunity to bring in the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation or the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform - perhaps all three of them should come in for an hour at a time - to put forward ideas that we can generate between now and then.

Perhaps the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, should come before this House for an hour each to put forward ideas. I have received e-mails from people and I am putting them to the Minister. All Senators in this Chamber should come up with ideas for each Minister - a small idea could grow into something bigger that could have a huge impact on our efforts to get people back to work. This is the only game in town, though political games are being played at the moment. The irony of the indignation of my Fianna Fáil colleagues on the other side of the Chamber is not lost on me.