Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

One of the main purposes of austerity, from the point of view of those who impose it, is to lower people's expectations. I could cite many examples of how this has happened not only since the Government took office, but in the preceding years. This is the mentality which lies behind the Gateway scheme and other such schemes or scams, call them what one will. This is what is at the back of these schemes dreamed up by the Government which we in Sinn Féin quite rightly target in tonight's motion.

This mentality was very much on show in the debate yesterday when Deputy Jim Daly spoke. He proudly claimed Gateway as his idea. Whether this is the case or not, he defended his statement on "Prime Time", that the scheme gives people an opportunity to learn what it is like to get up in the morning. He thinks this statement was taken out of context by us because he also mentioned going out to work, being part of a team and working as part of a group. Last night, Deputy Daly repeated on the Dáil record what he stated on "Prime Time" and it is still, irrespective of the change of setting, patronising and insulting to treat unemployed people, particularly young unemployed people, with contempt.

Deputy Daly and others argue many people will be glad to take up places on this Gateway scheme and there will be high demand-----

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