Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to say a few words on this legislation. I was a member of the Joint Committee on Social Protection and its predecessors for many years and have some understanding of the difficulties in this regard. The introduction to the explanatory memorandum states: "This Bill provides for a reduced rate of Jobseeker's Allowance and Supplementary Welfare Allowance for claimants who refuse to participate in an appropriate course of training or to participate in a programme under the National Employment Action Plan." I do not have a problem with this as to be blunt, if a job is available for someone, he or she should be encouraged to take it up in every possible way. However, I seek assurances that fairness will obtain in this regard because I often have seen instances whereby people have actively sought jobs but the documentation they received was not acceptable to some social welfare officers.

I understand what the Minister seeks to achieve and it is important to move forward in that direction but one should be cognisant of the different areas in which people live. It may not be as easy to get jobs in some areas as in others. For instance, people who live in small villages who are obliged to travel long distances in the absence of proper transport may not find it as easy as would someone who lives in a more major town.

The earlier Social Welfare Bill dealt with many other issues. For example, the explanatory memorandum states that it "sets out the rules to determine with whom a child normally resides for the purposes of social welfare payments with the exception of Child Benefit." The issue of child benefit has annoyed me for quite some time. While I do not mind someone who lives in this country being in receipt of it, we must be extremely careful about giving it to someone who lives outside the country in the present difficult economic situation. The explanatory memorandum to the earlier Bill also states that it provides for an amendment to the definition of spouse to include different sex cohabiting couples. I presume this pertains to the legislation already mentioned by Deputy Blaney but it represents a changed situation within an Irish structure.

In the Minister's contribution, he made some interesting comments in the light of the present situation where one does not know from day to day how we will finance ourselves whether we will be able to so do. He stated, "The Government is proud of its unrivalled record in increasing the level of social welfare payments". What worries most people at present is what will happen in the future. They are scared stiff because of the Government's record and the manner in which it has handled the economy. This is what is causing such an explosion in the need for social welfare payments to young people who either cannot get jobs or who are obliged to emigrate. The language used by the Minister and the issues he raises are interesting at this time, because the State must pay €20.9 billion in social welfare payments this year and an unknown amount next year. This is an indication of how well the country was run. If 450,000 or perhaps somewhat fewer people are in receipt of unemployment benefit, it means this figure is much higher than it otherwise should be.

The Minister has said social welfare expenditure for 2011 will be considered in the context of the forthcoming budget, having regard to needs and to the resources available to meet them. It is vital that those in need are safeguarded in the budget, in spite of all the difficulties. I think of the blind, disabled and others whose benefits were cut in the last budget.

I remember when Deputy Ó Cuív began his work as Minister for Social and Family Affairs. He referred to that time in his speech this afternoon. I looked forward to a new beginning and new hope. Unfortunately, in some areas that has not happened.

However, I welcome the fact that the Minister will be in charge of FÁS. The record of that organisation is abysmal although its record at local level is outstanding. The red tape local FÁS employees have to deal with is ridiculous. Often someone who could have stayed on a FÁS scheme was unable to do so because of a discrepancy in dates. If a public representative tried to get something done, the person concerned had to explain how tight his financial situation was. Later, we discovered that the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Mary Harney, and others could spend money like chaff.

We saw how money was spent and mismanaged at the top. One has to hope the Minister, for whatever length of time he is in office, will see that never happens again. Part of what got the country into the state we are in was the complete mismanagement and abuse of taxpayers' money. I make no apology for saying that. To read through what happened during that period is frightening. In my own area, people received certificates from FÁS that were not worth what they should have been. We have to look at the management structure of FÁS. With Deputy Ó Cuív as Minister, I believe there will be tight scrutiny and tight management. This is vital at the present time.

With so many people unemployed, the more people we can get into FÁS type structures - whether for education, community welfare or whatever - the better. People will have a better chance of permanent employment with FÁS experience on their CV. Members from all sides of the House must work towards ensuring that young people especially get a chance to put something on their CV.

The other day I came across a case of two young lads. One of them had made an effort and gone out and worked in a local filling station and supermarket. He had also worked on his family farm. His father told me about him looking for and getting a job where he was studying away from home. His father said he had looked at the CV before the young man sent it away. He had written that he had worked in a filling station and had also said, "I helped my dad on the farm and, mind you, that was hard work". The CV worked and got him his job, which he badly needed to remain in college. He has the job every week-end. It will be tough for him but it is important for young people like him to get into the system and on the job process.

I look forward to the Minister moving forward his ideas for ensuring that as many people as possible get into structures like FÁS. To that end, I do not object to the fact that he is attaching strings to those who gain access to those structures.

The Minister has stated that he is working with the different structures to devise a service regime and a model for the integration of FÁS with his Department. It is important that there is new thinking and new work going on. The integration of FÁS and the community service programme within the Department of Social Protection marks an important step towards ensuring that more people are put into jobs. There is much work that could be done around the country. Money could be saved if people, young and older, were put to work and paid for working 19 or 20 hours per week rather than getting money for nothing. We must work towards that.

The Minister mentioned electronic certification. I welcome any improvement of any kind. However, I hope this will be better than the electronic voting system or the effort to get electronics working in the HSE.

See this speech in context