Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I do not accept the characterisation by the Deputy of what is the Government's strategy or policy. We have many activation programmes in place. In recent weeks, €40 million was announced in respect of the Leader fund which is to be devoted to creating more jobs in rural communities. Last week, a €20 million activation fund was announced, which is about trying to find ways and means in which we can further assist the young unemployed. We have significant funding for FÁS, which provides many training and other job placement schemes. Some 144,000 people will this year benefit from those schemes.

There is also, as the Deputy will be aware, much greater effort being made in regard to supporting employment and part-time employment. Whether it is the social welfare budget; the training budget of FÁS, the State training agency; the activation fund, which is an effort to involve the private sector; the €40 million for the Leader programme for providing jobs for young communities; the increased numbers we have on back to school and education schemes and the changes we have had there; in every facet of our activities we have sought to arrange for a greater degree of flexibility to accommodate a greater cohort of people who are currently inactive in the labour market and are not part of the workforce. We are also seeking, as would any Government, despite the very tight financial situation, to apply, to the greatest extent possible, all of the resources we can to this area. We have to continue to look at it. I will look at all areas to see in what way we can ensure that this happens.

In respect of those who are now in viable but vulnerable employment, those who require further training and reskilling, those who are being encouraged to stay in education, those who are applying for FÁS programmes and all of the other areas of activities, it is not correct to say that there is a laissez-faire approach. On the contrary. We have learnt, from the various social partnership programmes down the years, about how we have been able to model and adapt our programmes to best effect. We saw during the better times that long-term unemployment was reduced considerably. We will work on these activation programmes to see it what way we can assist. No one is more conscious of the fact, as we all are as public representatives, of people in our communities who want to find a way forward and a way of contributing who are currently not in full employment. I can assure the Deputy that we will continue to see, in whatever way we can, how we can deal with that matter which I recognise as a problem in our society at the current time.

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