Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. Despite the outpouring of documentation from the Government in the form of various action plans, programmes for recovery, etc., nothing has been done to stem the haemorrhage of jobs out of the economy. Large and small businesses across every sector are being affected by the current crisis relating to the loss of jobs.

I join previous speakers in welcoming yesterday's announcement that Hewlett Packard is to create 500 new jobs. However, the fact is that some 500 people are being made redundant every 12 hours. While yesterday's announcement is welcome, against the background of 500 jobs being lost every 12 hours, these new jobs represent a mere drop in the ocean.

We are beyond the point where blame for the scale of the economic crisis can be apportioned to those who over-egged the pudding in respect of the construction sector and turned our country into a grey as opposed to a green Ireland. Wherever one goes, one will come across buildings and construction sites that are becoming derelict. What is required is quick and systematic action. However, we have not seen signs of such action as yet. This matter was debated in the House last October. In the interim, there has been no coherent or discernible strategy for getting people back to work or ensuring that they retain their existing jobs. During the period in question, almost 100,000 individuals have joined the live register.

Our first action must be to address the crisis faced by businesses if we are to stem the job losses that are costing the Exchequer an enormous amount of money on a daily basis. Despite the State guaranteeing the major financial institutions, it is an open secret that the banks are not playing their part for the good of the Irish economy. It appears they have shored up their own balance sheets, while ruthlessly cutting people's overdrafts and their access to cash. This type of behaviour is very damaging for small to medium enterprises that are extremely dependent on cash flows and their ability to borrow even relatively small amounts of money. Members have all heard evidence, some of it anecdotal in nature, of the refusal on the part of banks to provide people with even modest loans. The unfortunate outcome is that when a small or medium enterprise is obliged to close down, five, ten or 50 people are obliged to join the dole queue. The Government must ensure that the banks taxpayers now own provide money in order that jobs can be retained or created.

We must offer real opportunities to those who were recently made redundant. In order to do this we must reform the social welfare system. Anyone who lost a job in recent months should be offered immediate access to training or re-education opportunities or — depending on their skills and ability and whether it is their choice — to enterprise schemes in order that they might start up their own businesses if they so desire. This can be achieved if the will to do it exists.

Community employment schemes must be revamped. Almost all previous speakers and everyone to whom I spoke in recent days indicated that there is nothing to be gained from people being on social welfare when they could be doing something constructive and productive. Community employment schemes cost relatively little if they are run properly. Overall they would be of great value to communities because people's dignity would be restored by virtue of the fact that they would have something useful to do. I am aware of an individual in my constituency who was doing extremely good work with teenagers at a boxing club but who was refused an extension in respect of the scheme he was on. That person is now on the live register but he would have loved to continue doing useful work for himself and his community.

I have been in contact with agencies such as Age Action and Energy Action which are concerned that they may be obliged to reduce their services. If that were to happen, it would be a disaster. Why can we not place the tens of thousands of construction workers who are on the dole on community employment schemes designed to upgrade local authority and senior citizen housing? Elderly people living alone often require small maintenance jobs to be carried out. Why can we not engage people to carry out those jobs rather than obliging them to remain on jobseeker's benefit or allowance?

There are many people who have graduated from college but who cannot obtain employment in their chosen professions. The State invested an enormous amount of money in training and educating these people but they are now unemployed. I refer to physiotherapists, occupational therapists, engineers, architects, etc. There is a major demand among elderly people for the services of physiotherapists, and schools and hospitals are crying out for speech therapists and occupational therapists. Why is it not possible to employ some of these people in the areas to which I refer in order that they might use their skills and remain in touch with their professions? If they were so employed, there would not be a need to retrain or up-skill them at a later date. There is a need for these people's services and action should be taken in order that they might be in a position to provide them.

The Labour Party has been criticised on a regular basis for not putting forward ideas. My colleagues and I have put forward many ideas in respect of this motion and we hope that they will be taken on board.

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