Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Deputy Adams talks about decisions in respect of advisers. I am not at all happy - how could I be? - about the numbers who are unemployed. That is why, through the Departments of Social Protection, Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and Finance, we want to put a real emphasis on job opportunities, getting people off the dole and providing up-skilling and retraining opportunities for them so that they can understand and appreciate the dignity of being able to go to work and contribute to their local economies, country and their own well being.

On the one hand, we must deal with the requirements of the memorandum of understanding to get down to 8.6%. In dealing with that challenge, we will put whatever resources we have into providing some sense of confidence in our indigenous economy - small businesses and medium-sized enterprises - to give people opportunities to get off the dole.

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