Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)

The Opposition, including the Technical Group, is looking for more time to discuss Second Stage. The reason we will not be given more time is that the Bill must be passed in a hurry to satisfy the deadly duo of the IMF and the EU. Regardless of the argument that the IMF or the EU is doing good things for us, how can it be a good thing that we are being forced to push something through without people being satisfied there has been enough debate on it?

People have been discussing organising celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising. The more I hear about it, the more I wonder what it is they will be celebrating in 2016. It will not be Irish independence, as we are now a puppet state and the length of debates in the House are being decided by the IMF and the EU, our great friends. If that is the road the Government wants to go down, so be it.

I was not in the Dáil, so I watched the performance of the last Government from the outside. It did a great many bad things but what annoyed me about it the most was its arrogance and lack of sincerity. I am disappointed that the new Government seems to be following the same track. Many Members, perhaps everyone, on this side of the House would want to vote to restore the cut in the minimum wage but its restoration is being lumped in with provisions the Government knows we cannot support. The spin will be that we are somehow preventing the increase in the minimum wage to the previous level. It is unfair and those opposite know it is not true, yet the Government is forcing us into this situation. I will not be able to vote in favour of the restoration because of this approach even though I agree with an increase in the minimum wage.

I also agree with the excellent idea of bringing the services provided by community welfare officers, CWOs, into a one-stop shop. As a county councillor, I needed to deal with CWOs. I also needed to attend a CWO when I was on the dole. The idea is a good one because there are no controls over the current system and it is wide open to abuse. As the Minister of State is probably aware, someone who receives a council house in my area must attend a CWO to have it furnished. Constituents have told me consistently of how they were given no choice but to go to a particular shop. This is strange. Surely someone should be allowed to get the best value for money but this is not the case.

I hope the new system will allow people to take control of the money being spent on them, as it will incentivise them to get better value for money. Under the old scheme, the incentive was to feather the nest of the shopkeeper who knew the CWO. That is a simple fact. I almost out of speaking time. While I have much more to say the EU-IMF cannot unfortunately wait for me.

The Tús and internship schemes are interesting, in particular, as they are being introduced by a Government that contains some of the apostles of James Connolly within. As an intern, a person will work full-time and be paid €50 per week. However, a person who participates on a Tús scheme will be paid only €20 per week. Why is an intern more valued than a person who participates on a Tús scheme? Is it the case that an intern is a better class of person? Everyone should be treated equally. Also, can employers not be encouraged to pay the €50? Having an employee at a cost of only €50 per week is quite good value, particularly when resources are scarce.

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