Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The official definition in Ireland of long-term unemployment for statistical and other purposes is anyone who has been unemployed for more than one year. For Senator Moloney's benefit, I would point out that in my view, in most modern economies anyone who is unemployed for more than six months falls off a ledge in regard to the willingness by employers to give them serious consideration. In America, employers speak about a "gap". Employers and HR departments tend to look much less favourably on candidates who have a gap of more than six months on their CV than on candidates who have only recently become unemployed. This is a major problem because huge numbers of people became unemployed through no fault of their own, and if six months becomes one year, then two years, their chances of returning to work become progressively slimmer. This is why the education, training and work experience the Department of Social Protection provides are so important in getting people back on track and into work.

I understand that there are to be statements of sympathy to the House on the death of former Taoiseach, Albert Reynolds. Would it be possible to find out when this will occur, as I am offering sympathy on behalf of the Labour Party, and am thus under a time constraint.