Speaking on RTÉ This Week, Mr Gilmore said the start of the recovery would be to get rid of a Government that he said was incompetent.
He said Government spending cuts would have to be made to help the economy but only as part of a package that would stimulate the economy, safeguard employment and get unemployed people back to work.
Also on the programme, ICTU General Secretary David Begg has said he has been alarmed at some of the recent public discussions on the issue of severe public service cuts.
He said such wage cuts would take money out of the economy, and run the danger of creating deflation.
Mr Begg said if the private sector then followed any such pay cuts, this could deepen any deflationary spiral.
He said ICTU recognised that the growth in the cost of public expenditure has to be looked at extremely seriously.
He said Congress had suggested to the Taoiseach yesterday that he consider a social solidarity pact that would deal how the country would position itself in the medium term in order to survive what he said would be 'a rocky road ahead'.
