Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

Yes. A dialogue can be entered into in that respect.

On the question of whether the jobs initiatives introduced by the Government are proving a success, the central point is that this is a ship which will take a long time to turn around. We acknowledge the figures and are bold and honest enough not to bury our heads in the sand in that regard. We are seeking to implement a set of policy prerogatives in the form of labour market activation measures and education-related measures. The latter include JobBridge, Pathways to Work and Springboard, while the former includes the extension of the PRSI incentive scheme in a way that incentivises employers to engage employees and interns. We are also concerned with identifying skills shortages and seeking to address those through the education sphere. All of that will take time.

On the procurement issue, the action plan for jobs includes a range of deliverables for the end of 2012, to which I respectfully ask Deputy Peadar Tóibín to have regard. If he does not accept what I am saying, he should speak with representatives of the State agencies tasked with these actions, who will demonstrate the actions they are undertaking at the behest of the Government. There is a reporting mechanism attached to the deliverables which sees the Cabinet sub-committee on economic recovery and jobs reporting directly to the Taoiseach. It is not at all accurate to say our activities in this regard are based merely on aspiration. With respect to the Deputy, my response pointed to the clear action points we are driving in regard to procurement.

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