Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

I wish to share time with Deputy Niall Blaney. I am delighted to speak on the Bill this evening and I welcome the Minister for Social Protection, whom I compliment for his reforms and understanding attitude in the provisions of this Bill. He has also been understanding in interacting with backbenchers and the committee responsible for social welfare. We have had many engagements, some of which have been robust, but he knows what he wants to do and sees the need for change.

The Bill will provide for a full transfer of the employment and community services programme of FÁS to the Minister for Social Protection. The uncertainties relating to FÁS over the past number of months have aggravated the already difficult positions facing communities and individuals; I cannot say enough about that. The Minister believed that results could be garnered without changes to the Bill but we have had to do it properly. The process has been too slow but cannot happen fast enough.

It has been very frustrating to be faced with cuts in FÁS services, especially in my area of south Tipperary. There have been cuts to community employment schemes at a time when these services are needed more than ever and more people are unemployed who need to take on these places. Part of the difficulty has been a lack of clarity around which Department has responsibility for employment aspects of the service and who is accountable for the service. This has been a significant problem in my constituency, and I have been in daily contact with FÁS officials. We lost a good official recently when Mr. Liam O'Brien retired, and I compliment him for his outstanding work in south Tipperary.

We are being penalised in south Tipperary because we have been told that in the south east we have too many FÁS participants. I cast that out of hand and I have had many robust debates on the matter. We have many active community sponsor groups who saw a need in communities for services. The setting up of sponsor groups is an onerous task and I thank all those who helped to do so. When the groups applied for schemes, each participant was assigned a one-year contract. The subtle allegation that we have too many participants in south Tipperary, which has been made by senior FÁS officials, is very regrettable. Those involved should desist from the allegation as it is not fair to the sponsors, participants or community groups. An attitude prevailed where up to 150 participants were to be cut but those involved have backed off somewhat. These are uncertain times and the behaviour is not very nice.

I am looking forward to such issues being resolved under this Bill. It is necessary for us to work with the Minister for Social Protection and the committee to develop services needed by unemployed people. We must also look at the need to build sustainable community services. I have long called for an audit of the social value of FÁS schemes, particularly as they relate to the participants, communities and the people they serve, especially where social services are involved. There are many such services but an audit has never been carried out. It would prove the value of such services.

The Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, has ambitious plans for the labour market activation scheme. As well as these projects there will also be a need to stimulate job creation in both private and public services. However, the schemes from the Minister are most welcome and cannot come too soon. A community scheme has been long promised.

Members of Muintir na Tíre in south Tipperary and nationally invested much work in developing the scheme. The scheme cannot commence soon enough.

The hundreds of thousands of people who are unemployed have a wide range of skills and are interested in supporting and giving to their community. It is a pity this welcome scheme will not be introduced until 2011, even if it is late 2010, because the work needs to be done, people are eager to do it, the numbers required will be found and the community will benefit. It is a no brainer because communities need all types of work to be done, not only shovel and spade labour, but delicate and sensitive work. People could support social services while those with skills or degrees and other qualifications could help develop their communities or sustain voluntary community driven businesses. We need a new framework. Many unemployed professionals, including architects, are willing and able to help people to apply for funding available under various grant schemes or through county enterprise boards, LEADER groups and so forth.

The labour market activation scheme must address a broad range of issues. I do not mind who manages it provided the work is done. People are available; all they want are the tools of the trade. Among the greatest problems facing the country are the lack of work opportunities and the financial difficulties facing households. Being made unemployed or redundant, in some cases after 20, 30 or 40 years in the same job, causes shock and turmoil. People are left uncertain and fear for their families. I welcome the provision to transfer community employment services to the Department of Social Protection. This long overdue measure will create a one-stop-shop.

I compliment departmental officials in south Tipperary who run social welfare offices in the various towns in my constituency. They have done sterling work in the past two years as the number of people unemployed climbed and face difficult challenges. Social welfare customers must be facilitated. Those who have lost their jobs are traumatised, uncertain and anxious when they visit their local social welfare office. I compliment social welfare staff in south Tipperary and elsewhere on the dedication they have shown.

In welcoming many of the provisions of the Bill, I appeal to the Minister to examine the issue of domiciliary allowance. It is unfair and traumatic for people to find they are not entitled to social welfare benefits when they return from abroad to look after relatives, including their parents. It costs the State thousands of euro per week to have people cared for in hospital or a nursing home. This issue, which has been raised previously and which the Minister is examining, must be addressed. I thank the Minister for taking a proactive approach and addressing the case of miners who have suffered serious illness. He has shown an ability to see around corners by examining and addressing the issue in a frank and open manner.

Greater use of technology is needed in the social welfare code. It is unfair to have people queueing outside social welfare offices with no cover in all types of weather. I was informed recently of the cost of providing an awning to shelter people queuing to receive payments in County Donegal. I assume the Office of Public Works completed these works. Electronic signing on will facilitate people with disabilities, those who must travel abroad, people who have had an accident and so forth and should proceed speedily.

The unemployed need to avail of social welfare assistance. They are at their lowest ebb and must be dealt with efficiently and treated with courtesy, respect and clarity. They also need to be informed about the schemes available which would enable them to upskill or re-skill. Education is a lifelong process. The unemployed need and want clarity about the training and educational opportunities available to them.

Social welfare offices are very receptive towards facilitating unemployed people who wish to avail of the back to work enterprise allowance scheme for the self-employed. Many people are availing of the scheme and are doing so with the assistance of social welfare officials. The scheme is designed to encourage people in receipt of certain social welfare payments to become self-employed. Successful applicants continue to receive their full social welfare payment for the first year, at which point the payment is reduced gradually. Job activation is essential. We need to be more proactive, engaging and visionary.

Fraud must be addressed, although many of the anecdotes about social welfare fraud are probably untrue. The system of payments to landlords must be modernised. Every landlord with a tenancy must register. Local authorities should have responsibility for administering rent allowance because they are primarily responsible, alongside voluntary housing associations, for providing housing for those in need. I compliment voluntary housing organisations on the work they do in this area.

I wish the Bill speedy passage and look forward to debating it in committee. I also look forward to helping people return to work in order that they will have the dignity of doing a job.

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