Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

I am thankful for the opportunity to speak on the motion on jobs and the current unemployment rate, which stands at 14.5%. Before I discuss the details of the motion, I must commend and thank the Independent group for bringing it forward to draw attention to the needs of the unemployed. Tonight we stand with the unemployed and put forward sensible solutions and ideas to create jobs. It is not our first time to do so and we have never run away from putting forward a radical and sensible alternative. Tonight I urge all Deputies to support our motion and not to play party politics with the unemployed. This issue is too serious and we must stand up and be counted.

Let me refer to some of the comments made by the Government Deputies. Many of us are optimistic about the future of the country. Irish workers have great resilience. They are not afraid of working. The average retirement age in Ireland is 64, compared with an EU average of 61. More young people have acquired a higher education in Ireland than in any other EU country, with the possible exception of Cyprus. Ireland ranks ninth by the World Bank's measure of ease of doing business. GDP per capita is still well above the EU average. These are the positive points and this is why we are saying it is a scandal that our talent is not being utilised in the national interest.

There is much debate in the media about social welfare fraud and clampdowns thereon. There is major hype coming from the Government. I am very disappointed that the Labour Party seems to be sucked into this debate. Less than 1% to 2% of people receiving social welfare engage in petty fraud. One should compare this to the scandals created by the tax dodgers and those who travel abroad to avoid paying taxes. It is time to stop targeting the unemployed and poor and go after the people with the wealth and resources.

The American humorist Will Rogers said, "Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there". The Government should not just sit there. It should listen to the advice of the people on the ground and the Independents in the Dáil and then act. Waiting for the European Union to react is not an option. Ireland should lead in this regard.

This motion condemns the Government for opting to make good the gambling debts of unguaranteed bondholders at a time when desperately needed State funds should be invested aggressively in job stimulus initiatives. That is where the future lies.

Let us consider the undermining of the right of workers to a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. Advocating this right is a Labour tradition and it should not be breached. Giving somebody €50 per week is not and should never be an option. Taking away jobs in the sector should not be accepted. We must restore the right of workers to a fair day's pay for a fair day's work by addressing immediately the deep flaws in the national internship scheme. I ask the Minister to do so.

We need to return sanity to the commercial rented sector by eliminating upward-only rent reviews. We should face up to the issue of the massive gambling debts of unguaranteed bondholders. We need to get this country moving and working.

There needs to be a change in mindset in this debate. We need to go after and challenge the mega-rich. Ever since the Thatchers and Reagans of the 1980s, there has been a steady transfer of wealth to the very rich. This accelerated in recent years as hard-working people took cuts in income to bail out the super-wealthy bankers. Not only is this social injustice contributing to many injustices in society, it is the case that those on low and middle incomes reinvest practically all their money in the local economy, thus keeping more people at work. On the other hand, the mega-rich raise much of their wealth by hoarding, buying gold, silver and high-end luxury imports, or by speculating on the money markets.

The more the working-class and middle-class people are hit the more money is taken out of the economy. The Government should, therefore, stop implementing the failed policies of the past ten years and adopt a sensible suggestion, such as that made by billionaires such as Warren Buffet, which has led to both economic and social progress in smaller economies. We should not be afraid to encourage people to buy Irish in local shops and industries. An extra €20 spent in local shops and industries by every person, particularly those who are over 55, who seem to have an extra few bob and savings worth in the region of €75 billion, would create 20,000 new jobs. This is the reality of the debate.

Addressing cigarette smuggling could raise €500 million. Cigarette smuggling puts legitimate retailers out of business. Up to 6,000 retail jobs are at risk because of difficult trading conditions, caused by factors that include cigarette smuggling. Ireland is in deep recession and we must protect jobs. If shops close, more people will need social welfare, thereby creating an extra burden for the State. I recently met people directly involved in the industry and they gave me proposals to put to the Minister, Deputy Noonan, that would raise €500 million extra in revenue. The Government has a brass neck to accuse the Independents of not putting forward proposals. While we challenge Government policies, we put forward our own.

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