Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)

Tá an Bille seo an-tábhachtach ar fad, ach ní théann sé ró-fhada. Ní théann sé fada go leor ar chor ar bith. Is é sin an fáth go bhfuil Sinn Féin míshásta leis. Essentially, we are debating the Fine Gael Party and the Labour Party's so-called jobs initiative once again. It amazes me that there should be any need another debate on what is almost wholly a pointless piece of window dressing, which is more about paying lip service to stimulus than about contributing to any initiative which will bring sustainable long-term growth or even a short-term boost.

The Government has called this budget cost neutral. Unfortunately, once again we in Sinn Féin are correct when we say it will also be jobs neutral. Fine Gael has been obsessed with public sector reform for the past four years at least. The party's language translates into a three pronged approach of slash, burn and privatise. It has supported the deflationary measures of the previous Government and has built on them since it came into power. It has missed a golden opportunity to take the initiative, to act in the public interest and to deal with the problems facing ordinary Irish people. However, what is worse, those in Fine Gael do not know it and their Government partners, who should know better, are going along with it. Never mind the imperative that it is Gilmore's way or Frankfurt's way: it is now clear that it is Noonan's way or no way.

This is not surprising from Fine Gael. However for the vast numbers of people who voted for the party, who worked hard during the past decade and are now struggling or out of work, including young people facing emigration, it will be not only devastating having put their trust in this Government, but it prolongs their struggles and will force more to work in far flung places away from their families and the country in which they wish to make their lives.

The extent to which this is window dressing is obvious when one considers the numbers. A capital spend of €135 million is touted but, in reality, this is not new money for extra work; it is simply a reorganisation of spending with an extra €29 million for these projects. We have spent more than the entire capital expenditure plan on metro north. Roughly €150 million has been spent already according to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and now there is a danger the Minister will decide not to go ahead with the plans.

Since this plan is budget neutral, money is being taken from somewhere else and, for the most part, from the pockets of hardworking individuals who have been hit and hit again by this and the previous Government to the clear detriment of the wider economy. This time it is in the shape of a deeply inequitable pension levy, which, according to Government officials, will see pensions rise in cost by 50% in some cases and, it has been claimed by the private pension sector, which will be a fatal blow to its trade.

Just as the previous Government distracted people by rearranging deckchairs on our very own Titanic, the Government rearranges the numbers to make it appear that it has the remotest commitment to creating jobs. Not only were the road works, pedestrian routes and cycle lanes for which money has been earmarked in this initiative essential, but they were already planned. There is no consideration of a large scale capital project which could create employment in the medium term and have significant return on spend. We may only hope more courage and initiative is taken by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in future when he finally makes his decision between BXD, metro north and DART underground.

Whatever about these projects, we cannot afford to stand by idly while unemployment remains so high. It would be higher than the current scandalous figure of 450,000 had we not said goodbye to so many brothers, sister, sons, daughters and friends as once again we are faced with a generation subject to emigration. This would be bad enough were it not for the fact that all of these measures give the lie to so many of the promises of Fine Gael and the Labour Party in the election campaign and before. In 2009, we heard the disgraceful nonsense cry of "jobs, jobs, jobs", a promise for capitulating on the second Lisbon treaty vote. Then, the cry of "jobs" was one of Fine Gael's much discussed but much less acted on five point plan. However, this was not simply vague talk. Both Government partners laid down clear detailed promises to make a real go of a jobs creation plan. Deputy Enda Kenny had the neck to state that in a four year period he would spend €7 billion on job creation, creating 100,000 jobs and 45,000 training places.

Deputy Eamon Gilmore stated that the Labour Party would spend €500 million on jobs and would set up a strategic investment bank with €3 billion. This initiative, if one could use the term, does nothing close to that objective. It is smoke and mirrors and Deputy Michael Noonan has proven himself to be more Tommy Cooper than David Copperfield.

If anything is to be taken from the plan, it is the reduction of the airline tax and the new lower rate of VAT. The reduction to 9% is positive and, hopefully, will help struggling restaurants and similar businesses which cater to tourists. However, many more supports could have been given to the hospitality industry but they are lacking. The tiny impact of a €3 euro reduction in the price of an airline ticket is highly unlikely to inspire many people from around the world who are also being hit by similar poorly thought out measures to wing their way here to spend their hard-earned cash, much less the throngs we require. Surely if we are to build on our tourism industry we need good transport infrastructure which has been neglected, surely we need to link Dublin Airport to our city centre in the most effective way possible while creating jobs along the way.

Sinn Féin before, during and after the election has put forward real meaningful ideas for job stimulus that can help to get our economy moving again but these have been roundly ignored or derided by the consensus for deflation and cuts represented by the other major parties in this Chamber. Sinn Féin would invest €2 billion from the National Pensions Reserve Fund into creating and holding on to jobs in the next year. This would see a large specific job creation investment as well as a €1 billion spend on infrastructure on top of existing commitments, ensuring that the essential capital projects are seen through with the best value for money and the best return of jobs. All this would be done with a focus on the young unemployed to see that our best and brightest are not forced to emigrate.

We can do this not by cutting the wages of the 20% of people who only have €70 euro left at the end of the month but by targeting the highest earners in the public sector, Deputy and ministerial wages and those with net assets over €1 million excluding farmland. This is the fairer, more equitable way we can start to get on a road to recovery. It is the kind of change the Government parties were elected to do and have so far failed in both word and deed.

This must, however, be done. We must invest properly in our economy or it will continue to fail, we will say goodbye to many more friends and family and dole queues will swell. We have a choice and it is time to be brave and do what is required of us. This Government has given €24 billion to the banks and specifically €3 billion to Anglo Irish Bank, it has continued the path of raiding the National Pensions Reserve Fund to pay for a bailout which is not acceptable and will only saddle us with a debt we cannot pay and yet it has shown so little consideration for the need to get people working again and spending again. Where are its priorities?

We said it first and we say it again, jobs are the priority; the people of this country who are struggling and who are languishing in unemployment are the priority, not the bankers, not the IMF and not the ECB. Until the Government wakes up to that we will continue down this road and we will reap the whirlwind or it shall be inherited by our children.

Tá slí níos fearr ann agus caithfimid infheistíocht a chur isteach chun jabanna a chruthú ach níl go leor anseo.

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