Since Deputy Cowen became Taoiseach, some 140 days ago, 45,628 people have lost their jobs in this country. That is, on average, approximately 300 a day. We are told that people are now losing their jobs so fast that the Department of Social and Family Affairs cannot keep up with applications for social welfare payments. More than 30,000 people who have lost their jobs are still waiting for their payments to be processed. What has the Taoiseach done since this House last met to find employment for those 45,000 people? Can he tell the House what new initiatives he and his Government have taken to put back to work those who have lost their jobs since he became Taoiseach? What measures have been taken to protect those who are at further risk of losing their jobs?

What we are doing, obviously, is using the training agencies to provide whatever opportunities they can to provide upskilling and reskilling of those who, unfortunately, have lost their jobs.

FÁS.

It is not doing too much.

FÁS is the training agency to which people go and of whose services they avail. Regarding the overall situation, if there is an international downturn it affects a small local economy such as ours. This is happening elsewhere and we are not immune from such developments. The downturn is having an impact.

It is also fair to say that there have been indications of investment from foreign direct investors during the period Deputy Gilmore mentioned. More than €1 billion has been received so far this year which is very welcome and this situation must continue. Part of our strategy is to ensure confirmation that Ireland remains open for business and that the country is aggressively seeking those opportunities from foreign direct investors.

We must also help those who are in work by ensuring that we run the finances of the State in such a way that the economy is more sustainable than would be the case if we operated on a no policy change basis. We will not have such a policy in the coming 12 months and beyond and must take account of the changed circumstances. Luckily we are working off a lower unemployment rate than was the case when we faced challenges such as this in the past. The economy is in a stronger position. I know that is no comfort for anyone who has lost his or her job, at any time, during good times or bad. The issue for us is to continue to work with the State agencies and to have an overall responsible budgetary position that will uphold confidence in the economy and ensure that those who are at work have the prospect of continuing in their jobs, with people trying to obtain more market share.

I asked what the Taoiseach has done, in the ten or 11 weeks since this Dáil last met, to find jobs for the 45,000 people who have lost their employment. What new initiatives has the Government taken in that period? I received a long answer that suggested the Government will carry on with FÁS and with its approach to the public finances. A case of "as you were". It is clear from the Taoiseach's reply that the answer to my question is that the Government has not taken a single new initiative, in the ten or 11 weeks since the Dáil rose, to address the problem of people losing their jobs. Some 45,000 people have lost jobs in places such as Cappoquin, Tipperary, Tullamore, Cork and all over the country. People are losing jobs and in the ten or 11 weeks since this Dáil last met the Taoiseach and Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment have not taken a single new initiative. I have not heard the public announcement by the Government of a new initiative anywhere to help people who have lost their employment find new jobs. I asked the Taoiseach a simple, straightforward question this morning. Did I miss the announcement of something in the newspapers in the past ten or 11 weeks? Has there been a new initiative? Has a new mandate been given to the IDA or the job creation agencies? Has a new initiative been taken by the Government to find employment for the 45,000 people who have lost their jobs since the Taoiseach took office? The clear answer is that the Government has not done a single thing to find employment for people who have lost their jobs.

That is not the situation. The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment will answer parliamentary questions today on what FÁS is doing to react to the increase in unemployment.

There will be more FÁS courses and more money wasted.

If the Deputy has no confidence in what FÁS has done to help reskill workers and provide unemployed people with opportunities and pathways to employment then I am afraid he does FÁS a disservice.

Apprenticeships are being closed.

FÁS has had success in this area and I think it is only fair to say this.

Why was €37 million taken from the budget for apprenticeships? The Taoiseach is trying to cod us.

There may be other issues relating to audit matters, but they are being dealt with and this has been welcomed by the chairman and chief executive of FÁS, in the interest of maintaining confidence in the agency. I am glad that this is the approach they are taking to the issue. If the Deputy is suggesting FÁS is not helping people in any way he is doing the agency a disservice.

What is the Taoiseach doing?

What is the Taoiseach doing?

In answer to Deputy Gilmore, the Government will continue to work with job creation agencies like Enterprise Ireland and the IDA. These agencies have had successes, although I notice Deputy Gilmore has not mentioned them and instead has mentioned only those people who, unfortunately, have lost jobs and who I acknowledge.

This is an insult to the unemployed.

The picture painted by Deputy Gilmore is unbalanced. It is a serious situation, which we intend to confront, but I do not expect any input from the Opposition other than the sort of political point scoring we have heard this morning.

The only answer is to send people to FÁS.