John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I am glad to contribute briefly to this debate and to strongly support the motion tabled by Deputy Enright and Fine Gael. In recent weeks, the clinics of Members on all sides of the House have become almost like unemployment offices in the sense that people seek help with regard to the delays they face. The present economic difficulties of our country happened so quickly that in a matter of months thousands of people have seen their dreams and ambitions blow up in front of their eyes. Our Government has been in denial for the past year. It suggested that we were a strong economy which could withstand any difficulties. This reassurance was taken in good faith. Now we know differently and it is rather pathetic to see how the Government has been so slow to react to the plight of our citizens who cry out for support and assurance in their hour of need.

The trauma of losing a job, or in many cases two jobs in the same household, is difficult enough to cope with but the blow could be softened if help is at hand quickly, discreetly and in an uncomplicated way. This is what is at issue here this evening. Mothers and fathers are desperate to hold on to their homes and to have immediate access to social welfare entitlements. It does not help if, as we saw on the "Six One" news this evening, the unemployed have to queue halfway down the street in towns throughout the country for an office which is inadequately staffed by the Department.

This is no criticism by me of the staff in these offices. I have spoken with many of them in recent weeks and they eloquently described the difficulties they are in and how they are overwhelmed by the avalanche of applications. Our system should be flexible enough to react to emergency situations by transferring staff from other areas. I understand that staff in all of the offices are doing their best in trying circumstances but they need help and they need a plan. In my constituency of Mayo the unemployment rates have increased by almost 90% in the past 12 months. Immediate and radical measures are required to cope with this.

I am pleased to see that this motion also deals with the present debt collection system which sees a waste of taxpayers' money on court cases which are to the advantage of nobody. These structures are outdated, archaic and were never intended to deal with a crisis such as what we are going through at present. The courts should be used for people who refuse to pay even if they have the money. They should not be used for people who want to pay but cannot at present and will honour their commitments when their circumstances improve. The courts should be the last resort and not a first point of contact. Deputy Enright eloquently articulated the type of alternative dispute resolution system she has in mind and I welcome it.

I do not have time to go over many of the points Deputy Enright made but I strongly support the motion in the interests of thousands of people, many of whom are unemployed for the first time and find themselves in very difficult circumstances. The unemployment figures for March added another 16,000 people to structures already overwhelmed. It is in everybody's interest that this motion is supported. If the structures are not coping with the unemployment figures at present, how can they be expected to cope with the thousands added each month? We have seen an increase of 80,000 since Christmas. The unemployment rate has increased from 5% to 11%. The figures speak for themselves and I commend this motion to the House.

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