Ms Brid O'Brien:

A key request of the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed is for the Government to stand by its commitment in the programme for Government to maintain social welfare rates and support. There are clear social arguments for that, but there are also clear economic arguments for it as it is income that is used and spent in the local economy and it maintains local jobs.

With regard to reform, which is a key aspect of this committee's work, it is critical that the Government invests in the reform of public services. In particular, front-line staff must be given the appropriate training and supports to be able to deliver a first class, person-centred service. We are deeply concerned about some of the developments being brought to the attention of our welfare rights section. It is very evident that there is inconsistency, things are being done incorrectly and staff are not following their own rules and regulations. These issues must be addressed if we are to move forward.

To follow Orla's point, the labour market is now very flexible but the social welfare system is designed to respond to a labour market that belongs to a previous era in many respects. It must be reformed to allow people to take up work, develop work opportunities and to maintain and develop their links to the labour market. In that regard, administrative systems must be streamlined. They act as a block at present and as a disincentive to work. In respect of initiatives in place to help unemployed people, it is critical that employment programmes and education or training options are of good quality, that there is good follow through and that they will help people to be able to find decent work.

There are two issues of concern in the context of self-employment. One is creating access to the insurance based payment. This is a longer-term rather than an immediate project, but it must be addressed in this budget. Likewise, when people are trying to create their own response to their unemployment, the right supports should be available to them. This is critical for many parts of the country where foreign direct investment jobs will not be a reality and where local responses will be essential. The community and voluntary sector has an important role to play in that regard. This follows the points made by my two colleagues. The access point for many people in responding to local unemployment is very often the local community and voluntary sector organisation, often through schemes such as community employment, CE. These organisations play an important role but they must be linked into broader labour market supports so people can progress into the wider labour market.

There is also the area of co-operatives and social enterprise. These models must be explored further and supported.