Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)

Given that there are 450,000 unemployed and the figures are rising and the fact that reserves are recruited from the 17 to 35 age cohort, is there merit in the Minister having discussions with his colleagues, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to see whether there are ways to use the Reserve Defence Force to upskill people, to occupy them usefully and put them into services that support the civil power, so that they might, for instance, retain their welfare payments or whatever? We need to think outside the box, and rather than accepting the projected reduction in numbers - no doubt while the Minister will fight his corner, there may be some inevitability about this - we will need to look at other ways to cater for that group of people who, because of unemployment, need to be upskilled and involved in activities that raise their self-esteem and give them a sense of usefulness. This would be in terms of providing services that are in the public interest and that would add to our society.

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