David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)

I join with colleagues in praising the workers of the Department of Social and Family Affairs, which I have often done. I wish to make a number of comments. First, I am concerned by the community welfare officer service, which is at breaking point. According to those working within the service to whom I have spoken, they cannot cope. I am alarmed by the Minister's amendment, which recognises that the HSE is reviewing the allocation of staff. Will the Minister of State tell the Government to allocate more staff as a matter of urgency, as the service's workload has increased significantly? The staff cannot cope and I am afraid the system will crash.

My second point pertains to those whom Members described earlier tonight as the new poor. I refer to people who were self-employed, the entrepreneurs who took chances and risks in the past. It has recently come to my attention that many such people now are in limbo because they are not entitled to draw jobseeker's benefit as they have not paid the correct stamps. Furthermore, they are not entitled to draw jobseeker's allowance because they may have had an income last year. Many such self-employed people, plasterers, small business people and so on, have had no income this year. While I understand the Department has been asked to be flexible, I have encountered a number of cases in which flexibility has not been shown.

Many such people have mortgages and children in college. Because they had an income last year, many of them are paying fees but cannot qualify for maintenance and are caught in a trap. This issue must be considered as a matter of urgency and I suggest they should be allowed to claim jobseeker's allowance, at a minimum. While they cannot get jobseeker's benefit, they should be eligible for the allowance. When such cases go to the appeals office, it is a case of sending the fool further because the appeals office will not allow it either, given the manner in which the rules are drawn up. Changes must be made in this regard as a matter of urgency.

The third point is that as greater numbers of people move into unemployment, and into long-term unemployment in particular, a real danger arises, as was evident in the past, in that the longer people remain in receipt of social welfare, the more their self-confidence and capacity becomes depleted. The Government must introduce innovative measures to help people return to gainful work or employment. Some employers wish to take on people but are afraid to so do. In Germany after the Berlin Wall came down and the country entered a recession, certain schemes were devised which worked very well. People received slightly more than they would have done in social welfare payments but were in employment and were doing something that provided them with training and skills. Employers became more confident, matters took off and Germany became successful again. Innovative schemes from the Government are required now to get people out of their homes and into some form of employment. One may call it community welfare or social improvement schemes, job training or whatever one wishes. However, employers must begin to engage with unemployed workers, of whom there will be increasing numbers. I do not discern such initiatives emanating from the Government at present. Instead there is much throwing up of hands in the air and asking what can be done in the face of the oncoming international tidal wave. That approach is not good enough and the Government must begin to do more.

I am somewhat concerned about the social insurance fund, which is depleting rapidly. Consideration must be given to the question of what will happen to it. Essentially, I made three points. First, community welfare officers need to get more help as a matter of urgency. I am familiar with the HSE's ability to review matters for years. Second, people who were self-employed last year need help and, third, innovation is required to get people out of their houses to do something useful to boost their confidence, make them employable and get the economy moving again.

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