Fine Gael has called on the Taoiseach to take personal charge of the national response to job losses.
Speaking in Kerry earlier this morning, the Fine Gael leader, Mr Michael Noonan, said figures released by the Central Statistics Office on Friday confirmed unemployment was on the rise again.
"They also confirmed the warnings given to the Government by the IDA, employers’ organisations and trade unions that the decline in employment is severe and will continue".
Mr Noonan also accused the Government of indifference towards regional development underpinned by the lack of telecommunications broadband capacity in the regions and a failure to upgrade road networks outside of Dublin.
"The National Development Plan, just 18 months after its commencement is already behind," Mr Noonan said.
"The National Spatial Strategy, which should have been in place before the plan, is still in preparation by this Government.
"The Taoiseach is adopting his usual ‘head in the sand’ approach to the jobs crisis allowing the Tánaiste to be the bearer of the bad news," said Mr Noonan.
"What he fails to realise is that unless the underlying problems . . . are tackled, the regions will not be in a position to benefit from the recovery of the world economy".