Cowen accused of failing on jobs and economy

Brian Cowen today stood accused of presiding over 340 job losses every day since he took over leadership of the country.

The Taoiseach insisted the latest live register figures – showing almost 437,000 people are now signing on – signalled unemployment was stabilising.

But the Opposition said the Government’s plan to pull Ireland out of the economic crisis has clearly failed as high-profile companies continue to lay off hundreds of workers.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore urged the Taoiseach to appoint a new dedicated Employment Minister, with a new department solely charged with cutting the record level of joblessness, in his expected Cabinet reshuffle.

“On average, 340 people have lost their job every day since you became Taoiseach,” he said.

“That does not include emigrants who have left, gone back to their country of origin, or young people who have given up hope in this country and gone to Australia or somewhere else in the hope of finding a job and an economic future for themselves.”

Mr Gilmore said Ireland was the first country into recession and will be the last out of it, and claimed the Government was now dysfunctional over the economy, employment and provision of public services.

The latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) report shows nearly 437,000 people are now signing on, up more than 80,000 since last year.

But when the figure is seasonally adjusted it shows joblessness has dropped by about 2,300 since last month to 432,400.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the latest live register figures represented an appalling failure of Mr Cowen’s leadership and Government.

“If you continue to carry on in your personal way then you’ll be on your own,” he said.

“The people out in the streets are suffering an enraged silence at the carry-on of your Government, at the incompetence of your Government and what’s happening here.”

Mr Kenny said the most recent spate of high-profile job losses, including at Halifax, Debenhams, Boston Scientific and Hughes and Hughes, showed there was a need for an economic stimulus to break the cycle.

“What’s going up should be going down: bank interest rates are going up; unemployment is going up; house repossessions are going up,” he said.

Mr Cowen said the figures would suggest a modest decrease in unemployment, on a seasonally adjusted basis.

“While unemployment remains at a very high level, these figures confirm that the situation is stabilising,” he said.

The Taoiseach insisted the CSO figures included nearly 74,000 people who were working part-time and nearly 21,000 people signing on to claim credits.

Insisting the Opposition had no credible alternative to the Government’s economic plans, Mr Cowen said jobs were being created while other jobs were being lost.