Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Sinn Féin speaks against a scheme in the Republic of Ireland, but as an all-Ireland party one would imagine it would be consistent and not hypocritical about what it does in Northern Ireland, where jobseeker's allowance is available for only six months and those aged over 25 receive €85.73. The youth employment scheme in Northern Ireland is a voluntary scheme to get people active before they are forced onto the steps to work scheme. Initially, no top-up payments to benefits were made until a review was carried out. Last October, a briefing took place and three Sinn Féin members were present in the Assembly for a meeting of the Committee for Employment and Learning. Not one of them asked any questions on employment schemes, let alone why people are being forced - to use their words - onto schemes such as these for less than €20 a week. I agree with Deputy Jonathan O'Brien that one must be accurate about these schemes. These are the facts in Northern Ireland and Sinn Féin should be consistent and implement the same philosophy in the Republic of Ireland if it is seriously interested in having an all-Ireland approach. Obviously, it has an à la carte approach also.

It is clear Sinn Féin has a different political philosophy to Fine Gael and the Labour Party in government. I welcome this because we want people to be labour participants and gainfully occupied in society and making a contribution rather than doing nothing. If Sinn Féin wants people to do nothing, why did it introduce a scheme similar to this in Northern Ireland? However, it is opposed to this scheme in the Republic of Ireland.

We were honoured with a mandate from the people and we took it up on the basis that we would do everything we possibly could to get people back to work. We have made significant progress, but not enough progress because one wants to do a lot more for any citizen who is unemployed. Schemes are part and parcel of labour activation measures required to get people active in the community, maintain their skills, learn new skills and obtain full-time work. The Ministers, Deputies Burton and Bruton, are doing this through Pathways to Work and the Action Plan for Jobs. A total of 60,000 full-time jobs have been created in the past year. The level of full-time unemployment will have reduced from 15% to 10%-----

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