Michael Conaghan (Dublin South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

When the Government took over, Ireland was a sinking ship. The then Taoiseach was lampooned internationally, portrayed as a drunk at the wheel. Nobody would lend us money, apart from the troika which had been called in under cover of darkness by the Fianna Fáil Government. The Government has gone to great lengths to restore and rebuild confidence in our nation, set the ship of State afloat again and steam forward in the right direction. The image of the Taoiseach on the front page of Time magazine and the associated article, The Celtic Comeback, is not to be laughed at; it is in stark contrast to images of his predecessor.

One of the core economic missions of the Government is to create a stable economic and political environment, one in which people will have the confidence to invest. International investors are once again showing faith in Ireland, investing and creating jobs. There has been positive news on the jobs front, with such firms as PayPal, Paddy Power, the Kerry Group and many more announcing thousands of new jobs. The National Treasury Management Agency is once again active in the international money markets and paving the way for our full return to them. We are working towards exiting the EU-IMF bailout programme next year. This is the critical evidence that the Government's rescue plan has worked. This is proof that the Government is succeeding and will succeed. This is a considerable achievement in only 18 months in office.

Having rebuilt confidence and credibility in the international arena, the Government has taken a series of practical steps, introducing measures to further build confidence and rebuild the economy. These include a microfinance scheme and a credit guarantee scheme, introduced to increase lending to small businesses. The Personal Insolvency Bill is being introduced to help families who are struggling with unsustainable mortgages. The Government has introduced a €2 billion stimulus package to create jobs, while building schools and roads. The Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, has launched the successful JobBridge scheme. This was sneered at initially by Opposition Deputies, but it helps young people to gain the necessary skills to compete for positions in the workforce and has already helped thousands to find work. The list goes on.

Challenges, however, remain. The greatest challenge to restoring and rebuilding the economy is presented by the level of unemployment. It poses a considerable challenge to individuals and families. These are people who want to work and pay their way, but they cannot get the opportunity to do so. Unemployment levels remain far too high. Almost 500,000 people are out of work and further action is necessary to tackle the problem.

Economists refer to unemployment as if it were evenly distributed geographically. However, it is not evenly spread; rather, it is clustered. Statistics show that certain areas are affected far more than others and many urban communities suffer most. Areas of chronic unemployment face additional serious challenges which undermine the well-being and competence of communities. These challenges can have a damaging effect on family life and are hurting thousands of individuals on a personal level. This cannot be allowed to drag on. The budget must introduce action and new interventions to give these communities hope. We must consider different categories of employment schemes, including environmental, training and education schemes. Such measures should engage and keep people engaged until the opportunity to return to regular work re-emerges.

There are challenges, but the Government is committed and determined to address them. There is light at the end of the tunnel. There are Deputies in the House who appear to want to build a wall at the end of the tunnel to shut out the light. They are putting political gain and the advancement of their personal and party interests before the national interest. They seek to undermine the Government's work in every area, whether in securing a deal on our bank debt, solving the personal debt crisis or creating jobs. Often I get the impression that they would prefer it if we did not succeed.

History will not reflect kindly on Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil, the remnants of the United Left Alliance and others who in an opportunistic way seek to undermine the Government and the State at every opportunity. I take particular issue with the stance taken by Sinn Féin which preaches against austerity in the South while practising it the North. Early this month it baulked at the opportunity to stop the savage Tory welfare Bill in the Northern Ireland Assembly. It will play its part through the Northern Ireland Executive in implementing savage Tory cuts that will impact disproportionately on women, children, young people and the disabled. Its cynical posturing on this issue was exposed when the SDLP challenged it to sign a petition of concern, a mechanism that would have stopped the Bill in its tracks. However, it would not pull the trigger. Is this the same Sinn Féin that is represented in the Dáil? Are there two Sinn Féin parties?

The Government has made a great start in putting the economy back on the right track. It is a long road, sometimes bumpy, but the Government has the resolve and determination to fix what was a broken economy. I urge every Member to support the Government in its great struggle for national recovery.

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