Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)

I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak on the budget and to highlight some vital issues on which I would like to see improvement. I have listened to the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív. The one thing I would ask the two Ministers present to take back to the Cabinet is the importance of giving people hope. People have read reams of newspapers and listened to endless stories about how bad the economy is. Their minds are made up in that regard. People want and need hope.

In my constituency more than 8,500 people are unemployed. A total of 1,888 people under the age of 25 are unemployed. People in my constituency are leaving this country every day for destinations as far away as Australia and America. They have no hope in this great country of ours. I am proud of this country, as are many people. Past generations were given hope, but there is no hope for the many people in this country who are unemployed. What has been missing from this debate is what the Government is going to do about job creation. The harsh reality is that if people do not have jobs they cannot pay the taxes the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, was talking about. They cannot rear their families and go about doing the ordinary things in life.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coughlan, is responsible for job creation but she has not put any thought into addressing people's need for jobs. A stimulus package is a simple way to take many thousands of people off the dole. People could be engaged on small, productive projects that are needed in communities and in the education sector. Schools are in need of repairs and there are many efficient and able persons who could be given a chance to do that work, but the Government has not put anything on the table in that regard. Do I have more time?

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