Ciara Conway (Waterford, Labour)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Government's jobs initiative, which should been seen for what it is - a positive beginning that will bring certain benefits and represents a small step on the road to recovery as we clean up the mess that was left behind by the previous Government.

Like Deputy Smith, I am keen to focus on tourism. He made a valid point when he said we should focus on the internal market in Ireland. We have a great deal to offer to people throughout the country. The Minister for Finance has made a number of welcome changes which I believe will be very beneficial to this sector. This area can be expanded on in Ireland as a whole and especially in my constituency of Waterford. The 9% VAT rate will become effective from July. As we have heard, it will benefit a number of businesses including restaurants, catering companies, hotels, cinemas and other cultural attractions. Ireland is well known for its culture and history. I do not doubt that it can be used to bring many thousands of visitors to our shores.

It has been well documented that Ireland will receive two high profile visitors in the coming weeks. I draw Deputies' attention to a third high profile visit, which will take place between 30 June and 3 July when the Tall Ships Festival comes to Waterford city. The festival will be beneficial to traders, as will be the reduction in the VAT rate, as they prepare for the 500,000 visitors expected in the city. This is an unprecedented event which I am sure the rest of the country is also looking forward to.

County Waterford is building on its reputation for food. The south and south-east region is fast gaining a reputation as the culinary centre of Ireland. We have a strong tradition of producing top quality, locally grown food and Waterford boasts some of the nation's top chefs, including one who has been awarded a Michelin star, who are committed to using the best quality local produce. I draw attention to this area because the food sector relies heavily on agriculture. We hope the reduction in the VAT rate will have a ripple effect and will benefit growers and others involved in agriculture by stimulating an increase in demand. I commend the Government's efforts to build on the tourism trade and hope initiatives in this area will create positive effects for those who have been affected by the scourge of unemployment.

The initiatives to create training places and employment through schemes such as the summer works scheme and the upgrading of roads are to be welcomed as a first step in the right direction. The Government is barely in the door, having not yet passed the 100 day mark, and we have much cleaning up to do. I, for one, am prepared to roll up my sleeves and do what is needed.

I remind the House of some of the figures on unemployment which, thanks to the previous Fianna Fáil led Government, have soared. In the final quarter of 2010, unemployment stood at 14.7% compared to 13.1% in 2009 and 8.1% at the end of 2008. In April 2011, 28,270 people were signing on the live register in County Waterford, of whom more than 11,700 were in the city. These are staggering statistics and I am mindful that they refer to many lives and households. The Government must do everything in its power to reverse these worrying figures and in that respect this week's jobs initiative must be viewed as a positive step forward.

The reversal of the reduction in the minimum wage is an important step. Let us hope the reversal of this cut, which should not have been made in the first instance, will put more money in the pockets of lower earners and restore some of the spending power stolen from them by the previous Government. Under the programme for Government, the Labour Party is committed to getting people off the dole queue and back to work and as an elected representative for Waterford, I am committed to securing jobs for people in my constituency.

The health implications of long-term unemployment have been well-documented. We know that unemployment affects emotional well-being and career prospects and its effects endure the longer a person is out of work. A title of a study published in the United States in July 2010 - Lost Income, Lost Friends - and Loss of Self-Respect - succinctly summed up the impact of long-term unemployment. Let us hope this initiative will provide better employment prospects and help restore the self-esteem many people have lost.

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