John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish the Ceann Comhairle well for the new year as I do all Members, staff of the Houses and press representatives. Ireland's unemployment rate is the fourth highest in the EU with long-term unemployment accounting for 60% of people who are unemployed. Only massive emigration is keeping unemployment below the 500,000 mark. Surely, the Minister will concur that the onset of the economic downturn is one of the greatest threats to public health in the history of the State. Having no job is seen as an economic problem but it damages the physical and mental health of people who are unemployed causing heart disease, high blood pressure, depression and anxiety.

The links between unemployment and health receive little or no attention from Government and policy makers. Job loss is associated with elevated rates of mental and physical health problems, increased mortality and detrimental changes to family relationships and the psychological well-being of spouses and children. The Irish Mental Health Commission, EU and World Health Organisation have all released reports recently which set out compelling statistics on the negative effect of the recession on national psychological health and well-being. Mental health across the population, particularly among men, has deteriorated since the onset of austerity measures over the last number of years. Suicide levels are increasing at an alarming rate, particularly among young unemployed men. Figures from the Irish Association of Suicidology suggest that for every percentage increase in unemployment, there is a corresponding increase of 0.7% in the incidence of suicide.

With 700,000 people on or below the poverty line and more than 200,000 children going to school hungry or without proper clothing, two national organisations - the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Social Justice Ireland - which advocate for those people have seemingly been ignored. Why was there no in-depth social impact assessment carried out prior to the publication of the budget to ensure the circumstances of those experiencing poverty and social exclusion would not be made worse by austerity measures? Will the Minister give a commitment to the House, prior to the publication of the national social report for 2012, to agree to an impact study and to establish a task force comprising the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Social Justice Ireland, MABS, the Mental Health Commission and Aware to deal with the serious health problems associated with unemployment?

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