Vol. 748 Thursday, No. 3 1 December 2011 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES DÁIL ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Déardaoin, 1 Nollaig 2011. Leaders’ Questions ……………………………… 595 Order of Business ……………………………… 603 Sittings and Business of the Dáil: Motion ……………………… 615 Supplementary Estimates for Public Services 2011: Leave to Introduce …………… 617 Estimates for Public Services 2011: Referral to Select Committee ……………… 617 Credit Institutions (Eligible Liabilities Guarantee) (Amendment) Scheme 2011: Motion 617 Business of Dáil: Motion …………………………… 634 Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) …………………………… 634 Committee and Remaining Stages ……………………… 657 Topical Issue Matters ……………………………… 658 Topical Issue Debate Water Services ……………………………… 659 Industrial Development …………………………… 661 Inter-County Adoptions …………………………… 664 Employment Support Services ………………………… 668 Message from Seanad ……………………………… 671 Message from Select Committee ………………………… 671 Ceisteanna — Questions Minister for Justice and Equality Priority Questions …………………………… 671 Other Questions …………………………… 680 Message from Seanad ……………………………… 690 Questions: Written Answers …………………………… 691 DÁIL ÉIREANN ———— Déardaoin, 1 Nollaig 2011. Thursday, 1 December 2011. ———— Chuaigh an Ceann Comhairle i gceannas ar 10.30 a.m. ———— Paidir. Prayer. ———— Leaders’ Questions Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív: I intend raising the issue of the Diocese of Raphoe on the Order of Business. I have a question regarding the unemployment figures published yesterday. The Tánaiste said on 6 October 2011, “There has been a significant reduction in unemployment. The jobs initiative is working, both in respect of reducing the number of people who are unemployed and creating jobs.” Does he accept that yesterday’s figures show a year on year increase of 4,500 people on the live register and that his policies are not working? A closer inspection of the figures shows an increase of 9,500 people over 25 years of age and a decrease in those under 25 years of age of nearly 5,000 which is explained by the extraordinary migration of young people in recent months which everybody in the country knows about. This means the real rate of the rise in unemployment far exceeds the headline figure we were given yesterday. The Government has been in power for nine months. The Tánaiste talks about unemploy- ment and he talked about a jobs budget and all we got was a paltry jobs initiative that was really just an excuse for a raid on pension funds of pensioners to fund and bolster the coffers of the Government. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan: What about the medical cards for the over-70s? Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív: Does the Tánaiste accept there is an urgent need for action on jobs, that his policies to date have failed? What are his proposals now to deal with this crisis of unemployment? The Tánaiste: Yesterday’s figures show that unemployment is the single biggest problem this country faces now. The single biggest challenge we have to address is how to get people back to work. This must be the focus for everyone and this is at the centre of every single decision which the Government has made, is making and will make. Deputy Timmy Dooley: Including the VAT increase. The Tánaiste: I expect it to be reflected in the statements on the budget which will be made next week. 595 Leaders’ 1 December 2011. Questions [The Tánaiste.] We have sought ways to deal with this challenge by introducing a jobs initiative in May. As recently as last week, we held a special Cabinet meeting on the whole issue of employment, arising from which a number of measures were announced such as the establishment of funds which will provide for the extension of credit and the availability of credit to small and medium- sized businesses, in particular, and for start-up businesses, in order to generate employment. We convened a global Irish economic forum, the purpose of which was to bring together people from the Irish Diaspora in order to help restore the country’s reputation and to attract invest- ment into this country. We have established the strategic investment fund which was a commit- ment we made prior to the establishment of the Government, the purpose of which is, again, to make money available in order to generate employment. We have established the new economic and recovery authority under which the semi-State agencies will operate because they have a key role in the development of employment and the encouragement of investment. I expect that the Budget Statements next week will reflect the top priority which this Govern- ment is giving to getting people back to work and to generating employment. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív: The Tánaiste is absolutely powerful at the rhetoric and I wish I had his gift. (Interruptions). Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív: I will give some good examples. On 9 January— An Ceann Comhairle: This should be a supplementary question, Deputy. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív: I am coming to the question. On 9 January 2010, Deputy Gilmore said, “One of the most shocking elements of all of this is the indifference of the Government in the face of such live register figures”, when in fact they were considerably better than now. On 30 June 2010, he asked, “When will the Government take seriously the issues of unemploy- ment and getting people back to work?” In opposition, Fine Gael and the Labour Party were great at talking the talk— An Ceann Comhairle: Could I have a question, please, Deputy? Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív: I am coming to the question now. Deputy Emmet Stagg: He cannot think of the question. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív: The Deputy should not worry because I will think of the question. An Ceann Comhairle: The Deputy is over time, that is what he should be worrying about. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív: I am worrying about it. I presume the Ceann Comhairle takes account of every interruption. An Ceann Comhairle: No, the Deputy should just keep going. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan: We had better adjourn until tomorrow in that case. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív: They would have said anything in their grab for power. (Interruptions). 596 Leaders’ 1 December 2011. Questions Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív: The reality is they are doing nothing for job creation; all they are doing is cutting capital expenditure— An Ceann Comhairle: Could we have a supplementary question, please, Deputy? Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív: ——with deeper cuts in the public service, a VAT hike that will decimate many small retailers— A Deputy: Ask a decent question. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív: ——and changes in the social welfare code that are anti-enterprise. (Interruptions). Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív: I ask the Tánaiste if he will think again about these proposals and I ask him to bring in a genuinely pro-jobs budget— Deputy Emmet Stagg: Thanks for the legacy of 400,000 unemployed. Deputy Robert Troy: Ye did not stop it. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív: ——next week. (Interruptions). An Ceann Comhairle: We could do without the chorus, please; it is not required at the moment. The Tánaiste: I stand over every word of what I said on 30 June 2010 and on 9 January 2010. The previous Government was indifferent to the problem of unemployment and was indifferent to the necessity to create jobs in this country. That is the reason we have such a high level of unemployment. Deputy Billy Kelleher: Does he stand over his U-turns? Deputy Robert Troy: Does he stand over his pledge to students? The Tánaiste: The previous Government was indifferent to the problem of unemployment and the necessity to create jobs. That is the reason we have such a high level of unemployment. Deputy Timmy Dooley: The Government is not doing anything about it. The Tánaiste: The difference between the previous Government and this Government is that unemployment is our top priority. Getting people back to work is key to economic recovery. Deputy Timmy Dooley: The Government’s policies have been an abject failure. The Tánaiste: This is the reason we introduced the jobs initiative. Deputy Finian McGrath: The Government is putting people out of work. The Tánaiste: Deputy Ó Cuív referred to social welfare. We introduced the JobBridge prog- ramme and labour activation measures to provide experience for people who cannot secure employment. Deputy Finian McGrath: There are no new jobs. 597 Leaders’ 1 December 2011. Questions An Ceann Comhairle: Given that Deputy McGrath expects silence when he asks a question, I ask him to be silent when others speak. The Tánaiste: The reason we last week announced two new funds for people who are estab- lishing businesses and start-up companies to get access to funding is that unemployment is our top priority. The reason we set down limits on what banks must lend to small and medium sized businesses is to get people back to work. Deputy Timmy Dooley: The Government has not set down limits for unemployment. The Tánaiste: We are encouraging investment from abroad and place such an emphasis on restoring the country’s reputation in order that employment will be created here. That is also the reason that, contrary to what the Opposition said, we successfully defended the rate of corporation tax to attract investment. Unlike the previous Government in which Deputy Ó Cuív served, this Government will work every day that it serves to get people back to work and secure employment and investment in this country. Deputy Timmy Dooley: Does the Tánaiste have windows in his office? Can he not see what is happening outside? Deputy Mary Lou McDonald: We have 448,600 people out of work and the Tánaiste states unemployment is the Government’s top priority as a policy issue. Heaven help us if this is the Government working to put jobs first. Figures published yesterday show an unemployment rate of 14.5% and a shocking increase in poverty levels.
Details
-
File Typepdf
-
Upload Time-
-
Content LanguagesEnglish
-
Upload UserAnonymous/Not logged-in
-
File Pages177 Page
-
File Size-