450,000 people can’t take Cowen’s advice

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen says people must start spending more to help with the recovery. First of all there can’t be a recovery until thousands of jobs are being created — and that’s not happening.

Secondly, how can Cowen say people must go out and spend when the policies of his Government have resulted in €450,000 people losing their jobs and the slashing of the income of thousands of people who are lucky enough still to be in work?

If the Taoiseach wants people to spend, then he should stop using borrowed money to bail out the banks and bondholders and use it to have a national programme of public works to enhance the nation’s infrastructure and investment in manufacture to increase exports.