LABOUR LEADER Eamon Gilmore estimated that 2,000 jobs have been lost every week in the past year.
He said the unemployment figure of 252,000 was shocking.
"That represents almost 100,000 more people out of work than this time last year," he added.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen said that the unemployment figure included those who were temporarily moving in and out of work, and the labour force survey was the most accurate measure of unemployment.
The Government, he said, had indicated that because of the recessionary times, it had been obliged to budget for increased unemployment next year.
Unfortunately, said Mr Cowen, there was an additional cost of about €1.25 million to make provision in the social welfare budget next year for that contingency.
Mr Cowen claimed that the Government was pursuing policies, many of them opposed by Mr Gilmore in opposition, which had created much employment.
The Government, he added, was ensuring that Fás and other agencies were providing initiatives and courses to help people with upskilling.
"The Government is working on the skills survey outcome, which has come from the people it employs for that purpose,'' the Taoiseach added.
There was also, said Mr Cowen, the question of continuing with the correct strategy.
The Government was trying to bring order to the public finances, apply major resources in respect of the strategy on science, technology and innovation, and work with Enterprise Ireland to bring forward new initiatives to help Irish businesses.
Mr Cowen said there had been an increase in exports by Irish business, despite a difficult environment in present circumstances.
"We will continue to do all of that to assist in every way we can those who create business and employment and who are trying to maintain employment to the best extent possible,'' he added.
Mr Gilmore accused the Government of abandoning people who were losing their jobs, and of turning its back on the unemployed.
"People who are losing their jobs in the Irish economy today do not want the dole,'' said Mr Gilmore.
"They want work. They do not want to be on a Fás course. They want to be in a job.''
Mr Cowen said that the place to provide the creation of work was in the productive sector of the economy.
"In the State sector, we have already increased employment, which has provided increased public services: more teachers, more nurses, more gardaí, and more of all those essential services,'' Mr Cowen added.
"We have provided a level of service that Deputy Gilmore could only aspire to when he was in government.''
Mr Cowen said that every economy in recession was currently losing jobs.
"The European economy is currently losing jobs. Jobs are being lost in Asia and everywhere else,'' he added.
"That is not to be defeatist about it, but it is a fact. If we do not understand the context in which we are operating, we are not likely to sort it out.''
