Dáil debates

Thursday, 17 June 2010

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed)

 

1:00 pm

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

Níl sé fíor. Níl aon bhunús leis. Na leasuithe atá molta, pléifear iad leis na grúpaí a dhéanann ionadaíocht do theaghlaigh aontuismitheora. Tá mé sásta dul isteach sa choiste; rinneadh pointí maithe sa díospóireacht agus pléifear iad go mion.

Níl aon bhaint ag na moltaí le sábháil airgid. Duine ar bith a chreideann go bhfuil seo á dhéanamh chun airgead a shábháil, caithfidh sé cuimhniú go ndéantar amach gurbh é an tsábháil a bheidh ann an bhliain seo chugainn ná €900,000 as €21 billiún. Is ionann sin agus 90 cent a shabháil as €21,000. Tá bealaí i bhfad níos fusa chun airgead den chineál sin a shábháil ná dul agus leasú mar seo a chur ar Bhille. Tá a fhios ag an Teachta go bhfuil an cheist seo á plé chomh fada siar leis an am go raibh an Teachta Séamus Brennan mar Aire, am go raibh fuílleach airgid sa tír. Athrú struchtúir atá i gceist anseo, ní athrú ar mhaithe le hairgead a shábháil.

The position in respect of the one parent family payment is that we have put forward a proposal. I accept that any such proposed change will not work unless support services are provided. I return again to the circle I wish to create. There will be a need for after-school services in order to achieve the proper results. There will also be a need to encourage young people, regardless of whether they are from one or two-parent families, to become involved in many more activities and to provide them with a greater level of support than that which obtains at present.

I reiterate what I said earlier with regard to activation. We must avail of the services of those whom we currently pay to do nothing but who wish to do something. We should enable these individuals to work by encouraging them to become involved in providing the required services. There is an opportunity for parents, including those who are parenting alone, to provide the services to which I refer. People, particularly those who live in urban disadvantaged areas, who like much more comprehensive services to be provided in respect of young people in order that they will not be encouraged around the streets but that they might become involved in art, music, sport and many other activities. The way to do this is by providing after-school support.

When I was involved with the RAPID programme, I came to the conclusion that the cycle of disadvantage that affects urban RAPID areas is often related to fact that the extracurricular activities enjoyed - and almost accepted as a right - by children brought up in more affluent areas are not available to their counterparts in the areas to which I refer. I have always believed that the lives of young people can be affected in an extremely positive way by their involvement in extracurricular activities.

I will be willing to discuss these various issues on Committee Stage. I reiterate that the changes to which reference has been made have been long discussed and that they relate to considering ways to obtain the best outcomes for diverse groups of people. There is a need to engage in a mature discussion on these issues rather than trading insults in respect of them.

Cé mhéid ama atá fágtha?

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