As was mentioned earlier, today outside the Dáil the parents of special needs children who have had domiciliary care allowances cut were protesting as were lone parents who are threatened with a cut in the one parent family payment when their children reach the age of seven and who believe it will drive them out of work. More generally, these protests are part of a growing revolt throughout Europe against the failed policies of austerity and cuts. In recent weeks we have seen massive demonstrations and strikes against austerity in Spain, Italy and Portugal. Now in France, Austria and the Netherlands governments are being rejected by the people because of their attempts to impose the failed and disastrous policy of austerity.

The latest EUROSTAT purchasing managers index figures show bond yields increasing in Spain and Italy with stock markets panicking. All of this indicates the agenda of austerity is not working and is strangling the European economy with debt. Against this background why, for heaven's sake, is the Government promoting a treaty that will demand, in order to meet its targets, even more cuts and austerity being imposed on the people of the country? If the Dutch economy, which is one of the strongest economies in Europe, is unwilling and unable to impose EU austerity targets and cuts, how on earth can our traumatised and damaged economy sustain the level of cuts and austerity that would be required to meet the targets of the fiscal treaty?

Will the Taoiseach inform the House and the public how much precisely in terms of cuts will be required to meet the targets of the fiscal treaty if we exit the troika programme in 2015? Estimates suggest it will require €6 billion at least to meet the deficit targets and in the region of €4.5 billion annually for a decade or more to reach the debt to GDP ratio targets. This level of cuts will destroy our economy and society. If the Taoiseach disagrees with this, will he tell us how much in cuts will be necessary to meet the targets if we endorse the treaty?

Deputy Boyd Barrett is fixated by austerity and cuts.

I am traumatised by them.

He seems to assume the only role and responsibility of government is to involve itself in this. We have made the point on many occasions that the big difference here will be growth and economic development. This is why the Government set out to retain the structure of the business models we have put in place with no increase in income tax and no increased taxes on jobs and work and an action plan that is now being implemented with 270 proposals to open the gates for business and small business to get on the road for employment, retention of employees and increasing productivity and exports.

On my recent visit to China almost 100 companies were in the business of signing contracts for exports which will mean jobs in this country. As I said to Deputy Adams, while there are difficulties in every country in Europe, since last April I have been pointing out that the road to the future is a balance between good housekeeping which we must do here ourselves and having the single market grow to its potential. This means being more competitive, cutting costs and shaving excess where it exists. This is evident in the decisions of the Government to increase research, innovation and development funds so opportunities for careers and jobs can take place. I invite Deputy Boyd Barrett to listen to the voices of workers throughout the country who are in the position now, who can see their companies and firms beginning to grow and who can see these opportunities. Every country will always have political difficulties and Prime Minister Rutte explained at Council meetings on a number of occasions the difficulty he has had in holding together a coalition government of a number of parties. This is our decision here, where there is a stable Government focused on the priority of its people of dealing with our public financial problem-----

Be careful, Taoiseach.

-----and making jobs and opportunities a real priority. The minority parties in the Netherlands may well decide to form another Government. The Queen has asked the Prime Minister to look at that. If not, and it has to hold an election, that is its decision. Regardless of what the French, German regional or Greek voters do, our people have to make their decision on 31 May. I must ask - it is my privilege to do so - for their authorisation to ratify this treaty, which sends out a message around the world of continued confidence in this country and our people, which is something on which Deputy Boyd Barrett should reflect in his constituency where there are many people employed in good jobs who do not want to see anything damage the level of confidence there.

The Taoiseach is living in a different planet from the rest of us.

We would not like to living in Deputy Boyd Barrett's planet.

Why is the Taoiseach speaking about confidence? People are traumatised, blighted with mass unemployment and are being forced out of the country-----

That is the way the Deputy likes it.

----- and brutal cuts are being imposed on vulnerable sectors of our society. The whole of Europe is rising up against this crazy austerity agenda.

A question, please Deputy.

That is the point. Is there no recognition on the Taoiseach's part, as there is across Europe, that the austerity agenda is not working? It is crippling growth. The latest EUROSTAT figures indicate that the debt crisis has returned with a vengeance. I specifically asked the Taoiseach if he could clarify for the House and the public what cuts will be necessary from 2015 onwards when we have exited the troika programme in order to meet the targets and requirements of the fiscal treaty, which requires us to cut our debt in half which, in turn, will require €4.5 billion in cuts annually for approximately 20 years and approximately €5 billion to €6 billion in cuts to meet the deficit targets after 2015. If those figures are not correct, can the Taoiseach give us the correct ones? Surely, the Taoiseach is not going to tell us that more brutal cuts and austerity will not be needed from 2015 onwards, which agenda is destroying the European economy.

I live in the same world as Deputy Boyd Barrett.

One would not think it.

But not in the same sphere as him. I saw the Deputy in Galway at the Labour Party conference.

Was the Taoiseach there?

The Deputy did not see or hear anything while his supporters spat at the gardaí and security personnel. They did the same to supporters of the Labour Party.

That is rubbish. It is not true.

The Deputy refused to condemn that type of activity.

Hear, hear.

If the Deputy wishes to become a professional organiser for dissent and protest-----

He has done nothing else.

He was elected by the people.

-----then he will have plenty of places in Europe to do it. The Deputy is not doing very much in this House.

Answer the question.

It is perfectly obvious to everyone that 440,000 people on the live register, of which approximately 130,000 may be working part time, is far too many. The Government has set out its programme and plan to deal with that. Last week, we published the firstly quarterly report of the Government's action plan to improve the atmosphere in the environment in which jobs and opportunities can take place.

The Deputy's figures project a view that Government is only about austerity and cutting back. As I stated earlier to Deputy Boyd Barrett, we must deal with our problems because no one else will deal with them for us. The economic growth and agenda set by Government is based on creating jobs and job opportunities. If the Deputy cannot acknowledge that Paypal, Eli Lilly, Microsoft, HP, Baxter, Allergan and many other companies are making serious investments in this country, resulting in the creation of a serious number of jobs, then he is living on a different planet.

The Taoiseach is not answering Deputy Boyd Barrett's question.

Give us the figures.

Freagair an cheist.

He does not have them.

At the other end of the scale, Government is stimulating the indigenous economy by having an action plan that is focused on jobs as a priority. The best news the Deputy will ever hear is that someone in his esteemed constituency has been offered employment. That is what we want. It is what we are about. I reject completely-----

No figures.

-----the Deputy's view of austerity only beyond 2017, which is not the agenda of the Government.