Tánaiste Joan Burton has warned Ireland's economic recovery is not secure. "We could be blown off course by international events beyond our control,'' she said. "We could also be set back by domestic events which are within our control.''

In the resumed Dáil debate on the spring statement, she said the country needed stable government and responsible management of the economy. “It needs parties in government who are willing to face up to the social challenges of our time,’’ said Ms Burton. “We do not need, and cannot afford, the instability and mismanagement that would be inevitable if the parties opposite had any influence in government.’’

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said the gap between the Government's rhetoric and the facts of what was happening to people got wider.

"As the dust settles on the self-congratulation and the months of media spinning it is the silence which is most striking,'' said Mr Martin. "There is silence on equality, on child poverty, on waiting lists, on class sizes, on the spread of drugs, on insecure jobs, and on the many other areas where the impact of a deeply unfair and two-tiered recovery are being felt.''