Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

I take them at whatever is the appointed time. We are undertaking a difficult transformation in the economy. That is the truth of the matter. We built a property bubble that was unsustainable. Part of it meant the construction sector grew well beyond what was sustainable in the long term. The reason we have seen the huge rise in unemployment is the wipe-out of the construction sector. From memory, approximately 160,000 jobs were lost in that sector alone. It is many of those male workers who are finding it very difficult to reintegrate into the workforce. That dislocation is what is driving the pattern to which the Deputy referred, the high proportion of people who are out of work in the long term.

The response must be twofold, one of which I am primarily responsible for, namely, getting enterprises to create more employment. We are beginning to see positive signs in terms of investment from foreign companies. We are also seeing good signs in terms of start-ups, but we have real problems, as the Deputy himself acknowledged, in banking and elsewhere in getting enterprise back on its feet. We have significantly improved our competitiveness and we are seeing exports recover. We are seeing the start of the transformation but I admit that it is taking time to reverse the trends. It will be a significant challenge.

The other dimension is the one on which the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, is working, namely, helping people who have been displaced to transfer to new skills with Springboard, and to get the support of activation work experience, JobBridge and other schemes to help them re-enter the market. I do not understate the challenge by any means but the Government's approach in having an annual jobs plan, committing to change year-in and year-out and holding ourselves to targets is the best way to address those problems.

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