Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)

The social consequences of the austerity policies of this Government are evident every single day in the cuts to essential public services, the number of young people leaving our shores, the cuts to DEIS schools, the household charge, the slashing of school guidance counsellor numbers, the attack on rural communities through the septic tank debacle, stealth taxes, the crisis in our health service and now the imposition of cuts to CE schemes, which will see the end of many such schemes. At the same time, the Government is handing over billions in euro of taxpayers' money to criminal banks, as much as €20 billion in its term of office so far. Next month, €3.1 billion, almost as much as the total budget cuts, will be paid to Anglo Irish Bank. Today, the Finance Bill will enact into law the series of indirect tax hikes introduced by the Government, including VAT, excise duties and deposit interest retention tax, DIRT.

The attack on CE schemes affects the most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities and the long-term unemployed who are trying to return to work. Government Teachtaí Dála have praised the schemes and told the House that they provide essential services, but those Deputies do not say the schemes should be protected against budget cuts.

The budget's savage 66% cut in training and education grants threatens CE schemes and, as a result, many will not be able to function. In my constituency of Louth, there are 30 CE schemes. Across Louth, women's networks, community development groups, women's refuges, youth groups, homeless aid and employment groups are dependent on CE schemes to provide their essential services. Is iad mná a n-oibríonn i gcuid mhaith de na grúpaí pobail seo. Tá siad faoi ionsaí ag an Aire. The public and private sectors could not, do not and will not provide these services.

In what has been a mark of the Government, the Minister has taken the bizarre approach of imposing cuts before announcing a review under public pressure. Consulting the schemes before announcing the cuts would have made sense. The Minister could have engaged in dialogue with the people involved and considered the long-term implications and social consequences of taking this vital employment out of communities.

CE schemes in County Louth suffered cuts in recent budgets, but the slashing of training and material budgets by 66% - from €1,500 to €500 per annum per participant - will have a devastating effect on them. Without these grants, sponsors will not be able to cover running costs of as much as €20,000 per annum. These costs include paying for offices, supervisors, insurance, audits etc.

If the Minister's aim was to design a range of actions to make CE schemes unsustainable without announcing publicly that she was cutting the schemes, she could not have done any better. For example, funding for the Dundalk ICTU centre has been cut by more than 25% since 2009. The centre's CE schemes employ 51 people and the proposed cut in funding would see the budget slashed by €51,000 next year. At the centre, CE workers help members of the public with curriculum vitae, welfare rights, job applications and accessing entitlements. Have no doubt about it - if the Government proceeds with the cuts as outlined, many of the schemes in Dundalk, Drogheda and across County Louth and other embattled communities in the State will close.

The abolition of concurrent payments and the CE qualified child increase paid to lone parents on CE schemes is a shameful step.

Ní thuigim conas gur féidir le Teachtaí Dála i bPáirtí an Lucht Oibre aontú le ciorraithe ar scéimeanna a chuireann seirbhísí chúram leanaí ar fáil. If Government Deputies are genuine when they acknowledge that these schemes play a vital role in communities by providing services such as community child care and so on, they should support this motion.

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