Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

The Deputy has already secured his place in the other House, so we are not worried about him.

To return to the substance of the Minister's reply, we know from other countries that are suffering from higher levels of unemployment than those in Ireland that we cannot sustain and support an open, competitive economy that is embracing globalisation unless we can offer a sense of security to those who, through no fault of their own, find themselves without a job and in need of the aid and support of FÁS to return to the workplace. In effect, this question is not dissimilar to one asked previously. Will the Minister outline some examples of the work FÁS is doing in this area, as distinct from just describing it? What experience has he had, in his capacity as Minister, of FÁS intervening successfully in the event of job losses in 20-year-old companies, for example, the skills sets of whose employees are of a particular timeframe? What is the real-life experience communicated to the Minister in respect of the efficacy of such intervention by FÁS?

See this speech in context