Ms Nicola Byrne:

I am not sure. There are so many solutions that I am not sure one solution would fit all. With the MOMENTUM programme, the Government is doing a superb job and hats off to it on that. The people involved are incredible. For many of those who were involved in construction who have found themselves unemployed, this is their opportunity to go back and follow a dream they have always had. These people are motivated and determined to create employment for themselves.

With regard to people who want to work for themselves and to make that worthwhile, the reason the situation is more complex for women is that if they are home with their child, whether a single mother or not, and decide they want to return to work, the complication of child care has a particular effect on that person.

They have been at home and have to make a significant choice. Going back to work without a safety net and losing all benefits immediately is not viable. Bills have to be paid. For males and females, it is very difficult and if one does not put a safety net in place, people will not show innovation and will continue to live in a welfare context that encourages them to stay in it rather than to leave. The solution is a mix of child care services, tax reliefs and supports. It is not a simple solution because people who have jobs and whose taxes are going towards paying for this may look at it in a very negative way. They will say they have taken jobs all their lives and taken no risks but now see their tax money being taken to pay for the person mentioned. However, everyone would benefit as a member of society. When there was full employment, we had a vibrant and rich economy. If we could recreate it, the tide would rise for everybody.

There is a danger that after the Celtic tiger, we have castigated everyone, not just those who took silly risks. Not everyone went off on the construction lunatic risk tangent. There were some very hard working people who, through no fault of their own, lost their businesses because of the downturn in the economy. We cannot brandish that one brush across everybody's failures. There are different types of failure and different reasons for it. The problem is for people sitting on the outside having never taken a risk in looking at what they consider to be all of these cowboy entrepreneurs. They often risk everything for us, but they are branded in the same way when it is not true. There are some really amazing entrepreneurs who were hurt and never had the chance to take their talents back out again as there is no safety net and no way to put them back out. A multidisciplinary approach to solving the problem is required.