Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Was any thought given to talking to the Minister's colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, about expanding the community services programme, which is a long-term programme, unlike CE schemes, which last two or three years? Tús schemes last one year. The community services programme is a long-term programme for people who are employed. A payment is received for a manager and a number of full-time equivalents are granted and one can actually employ people and supplement the wages. Such schemes are ideal for arts centres. I think some arts centres have had them from the time I was in government. They are ideal because there must be some element of income but they must also be charitable bodies and have a deficit. In other words, the service must not be economically viable, which no arts centre is, without some support. In support of my colleague, I believe the Minister and the Minister for Social Protection could collaborate. The difference in cost between people drawing the dole, jobseeker's allowance, and putting them on these schemes is quite modest. It becomes particularly modest when it takes into account that many people who work on these schemes are unlikely to get commercial employment and their social and medical well-being, which is costing the State a fortune, is radically improved. The Department of Social Protection has some very good medical evidence of the hugely detrimental mental and medical effect of unemployment, that unemployed people have higher morbidity and mortality rates, go to the doctor more often, die younger and are ill a lot more often. Imagine all the money that could be saved. The Minister could bring her colleague, the Minister for Health, in on this too because his Department would save a fortune if she did this. That is very important. There is no point in building big capital projects without staffing them.

I have one other question. I understand that each Department is meant to make its archives available going back 30 years or whatever by the end of the year and that the archives come under the Minister's Department. Her Department has singularly failed to make its archives available on time for the end of the year.

Perhaps this year the Minister could lead by example and make the archives available. The transfer of files does not happen on time. I am a little surprised by this. Perhaps the Minister could check to ensure it happens on time this year when the archives are ready to be opened.