Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I support the introduction by my colleague Deputy Varadkar of these very important proposals to the House. Out hearts go out to the 450,000 people on the live register. We are aware of the many people who have made a great contribution to the economy by providing employment and work to the country. However, many such people do not have money to put bread on the table now. They are the new poor. As politicians, we must give hope and leadership. We must have a sense of unity to provide some future not only for these people, but for their children. In recent years, we have seen many high profile job losses. However, most of the jobs lost that make the current figure of 450,000 are lost in groups of one, two, three four and five and these could be avoided.

Food processing has been a significant industry in my constituency but thousands of food processing jobs have been lost. Often such companies as Glanbia and Green Isle have pulled out for innocuous reasons, including a fire on one occasion and at other times because someone wished to start a union. Such companies move to other areas such as Dublin, the United Kingdom or Kildare. For some reason, the Government always gives such companies grants or compliments them for the work they do. Such companies are moving out of rural areas that badly require the jobs to retain people in these areas and this does not represent balanced development. Not enough has been done to protect the jobs in place.

Many opportunities exist and Deputy Varadkar has produced proposals which I welcome. One such proposal is the apprentice guarantee. I refer to the case of 700 apprentices. I have contacted the Tánaiste several times in respect of FÁS employees in Australia or the United States of America. There is no flexibility in FÁS. People want to finish their apprenticeships but FÁS has more or less said the courses must be finished in Ireland. A lady whose son is in Australia asked me how he could come back when there is no work here. People are not living in the real world. We must be flexible and compassionate towards young people who have perhaps done four out of five years of an apprenticeship. No flexibility is being shown towards them.

The workshare arrangement will protect jobs. The solution to the recession starts and ends with jobs but we must protect them first. Not enough is being done in this regard.

It is quite obvious that banks have stopped funding small businesses. Only for the credit unions, family and friends, most people with small businesses would have gone to the wall. However, most will go the wall unless the banks make credit available immediately. Unfortunately, they are more interested in repairing their balance sheets.

The role of the Western Investment Fund is to invest seed and venture capital in projects and businesses in the western region. Small businesses should be able to avail of it. The fund, under the Government, could take out shares in and make loans to companies to ensure they will be economically viable.

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