Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the three delegations and thank them for the papers they have presented. I agree with Dr. Rigney that the social dimension to monetary union appears to be an afterthought. In the past two years when we faced crises, it was all about the markets and stabilising the euro rather than asking about their impact on society and people. I am not foolish enough to think the issue can be resolved in isolation, but it would have been nice in some of the communiqués to acknowledge the people impacted on by these monetary problems. However, it seems it is all about rectifying the markets to allow them to do what they best do, which is to follow greed and generate profits for some people, while the citizens are just minions.

There is a challenge ahead to forge the social agenda in the minds of those who are dictating the state of play. How do the delegations see their organisations interfacing to a greater extent in trying to ensure the voices of those most affected are taken into account? Some of the labour activation measures in place are ineffective. With such a large number unemployed, how can we put in place labour activation measures to ensure people do not go off at the deep end? Many of those who find themselves outside the labour net for eight to 12 months suffer depression and find it very hard to get back into the workplace.