Opposition urges employment drive not taxes to plug defecit

THE main opposition parties were in harmony regarding the €22 billion exchequer deficit, claiming job creation was the best way to plug the hole.

The November figures, traditionally the most significant of the year, revealed the Government has raised just €30.8bn in taxes this year which is more than €1bn short of the emergency target it set in April.

Fine Gael’s finance spokesman Richard Bruton said rising welfare costs and falling revenues were being compounded by the spiralling interest payments on the national debt.