Mr. Eamonn O'Reilly:

We welcome the national coverage of this issue. The local employment service and jobs clubs do not receive national coverage, unlike most other programmes such as SICAP, Tús and the RSS. The LES is available in some areas. In the areas where it is not available, coverage is provided by SICAP and other programmes. The union side of the house also welcomed this.

I will answer some of the questions asked. When one is talking about jobs for under 30 hours a week, it certainly has an affect on rural areas because some people are involved in tourism, which employment can be precarious. While the system recognises this - we can track such employment on the system, as Ms Kennedy stated - it is not taken into account in the reports such as the Indecon report, which is a pity. As alluded to by everyone, it is about improving quality of life, rather than merely having a paid 30-hour a week job. There is a lot more to it than that.

On climate action, the fact that they are integrated companies, as Ms Fitzgerald mentioned, means that we can bring it across to the rural development and LEADER programme sides. In the past few years we have engaged on ecotourism, rainwater harvesting and biodiversity. It means that, as the Chairman mentioned, as integrated companies, we can respond to local needs. We are delivering on national policy in a way that is community-led which is a real advantage.

The Chairman mentioned the long-term unemployed and others. We also have other programmes, as Ms Fitzgerald mentioned. For example, we have a moving-on project under the programme for employability, inclusion and learning, PEIL, an initiative for women returning to the workforce who are not on the live register. It is a successful programme, through which over 100 women have come. We are in a flexible position. We are managed by voluntary boards, the members of which are driven by and focused on the needs of the local areas they represent.