Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Long-term unemployment is at a critical level. Since the Government has taken office, we have moved from 50% of those who are unemployed being long-term unemployed to 60%. The activities the Government has been involved in have had a negative effect. Long-term youth unemployment in Ireland is at the highest level in Europe. The Government is tinkering around the edges. This Government and the last Government have taken €24 billion out of the economy and at the same time the private sector has taken €30 billion out of the economy. Sucking that level of money out of the economy leads to the economy collapsing. The Government has been involved in a pro-cyclical policy, making the trough deeper. By these policies, the Government has taken a kango hammer to the Irish economy and it is in disorder as a result.

There are obvious solutions, and not just those proposed by Sinn Féin. There are internationally recognised counter-cyclical policies of investment. The country has two major strategic objectives for the next 15 to 20 years.

One concerns energy and resources problems. We have housing stock that is energy inefficient. We could match many of the long-term unemployed from the construction sector to the external cladding of these houses. A fund is available from the private pension industry which would be happy to be involved in this.

The second strategic objective is to increase our communications ability. We are at the bottom of the European league with regard to broadband. The provision of broadband would also employ people who are long-term unemployed, but that would take a complete about-face in Government policy. It is up to the Minister to do that.

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