Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I ask the witnesses to comment on the specifics of the labour activation measures, including Gateway, Tús and JobBridge, and to give their opinion of the success or otherwise of those measures in terms of their impact on unemployment. Our strategy has changed in recent years by moving away from merely issuing cheques to providing a more respectful service by engaging with people and establishing Intreo offices and other labour activation measures. Rightly or wrongly, there is a perception that a cohort of people just do not want to work irrespective of what is done for them. Many employers feel frustrated at being unable to recruit people for jobs that offer reasonable pay. We can debate what constitutes good pay but many employers are frustrated by the difficulties they encounter filling positions. They have interviewed people but were told it does not pay the individuals concerned to work. Do the witnesses believe that a cohort of people just do not want to work and, if so, are they exploring a solution to that issue?