Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

This is no way to do business or to treat Opposition spokespeople. We do not have the resources of the Government, nor the same backup facilities. It is wrong that such amendments are introduced without our having had a prior briefing on them. It is not the way to deal with legislation. I am upset because one never knows what minefields may arise in legislation.

I am disappointed by the way in which this Bill is being handled. We have been talking about it since last since last summer, so there was no excuse for introducing it in the same week as the Social Welfare Bill which deals with budgetary changes. It is wrong to deal with the legislation in this manner - two days before the House rises for the Christmas recess and then probably into a general election - because we will not have a further chance to discuss these amendments. As we have seen before, legislation that is guillotined ends up in the High Court six months later where it is overturned. We then have to come back to the House to deal with emergency legislation.

The Minister is proposing 5,000 work experience placements but I hope these will be independently monitored. We should put these people through their paces to retrain them. At the end of it, we want to see some of them being placed in jobs. Something should be done for them in this respect. Some form of independent monitoring evaluation is required and it would be wrong if that does not happen. Last week, we saw what was going on in FÁS concerning qualifications.

I am glad the Minister said that, along with the job seeker's benefit, these people will also get €100 per week.

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