Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the Finance Bill, which implements the taxation measures announced in the budget in December. A key issue in the budget was job creation. That is the most important issue we must deal with by introducing incentives and supports for job creation.

We currently have over 400,000 unemployed and to lose one's job is one of the most traumatic events that can take place in a person's life. I have personal experience from many years ago of being told at 8 a.m. one day that I would be made redundant on statutory redundancy after several decades of contributing to an organisation. The trauma of losing one's job and becoming unemployed is not fully understood or appreciated. There is a period almost of mourning, and we know from many studies that it affects self-esteem and relationships. There are serious implications attached to losing a job, especially now when so many people have mortgages and personal debt and have planned their lives around full-time employment, and this causes extreme stress. When we meet someone new, we ask three things: their name, where they live and what they do. We attach a lot of value to the contribution we make to society in our daily lives.

That stress can create extreme difficulties within families, particularly if there is a danger of losing one's home. Our home is very important in our lives and that is why it is so important that all of us in this House agree that the mortgage situation must be dealt with as quickly and fairly as possible, with an understanding of the effect the threat of the loss of a home has on a person. It is vital also that this factor is recognised by the banks as part of their civic responsibility towards their customers, whom in some ways they placed in that situation. We can say the client requested advice and made the final decision to borrow, and that is correct but the banks were, with hindsight, reckless in how they dealt with the housing bubble that has caused us so many problems.

When stress arises in a family because of the loss of employment, personal difficulties can occur and no matter now much parents might want to protect their children from the stresses they are experiencing, inevitably the children and young people are affected. Many of those in this situation bought their homes at the time of the property bubble, were settled and have families. Those are the people who have been worst hit by job losses and mortgage distress. Often these stresses can cause relationship breakdown or family difficulties and can lead people to take comfort in alcohol or drug abuse to try to relieve these stresses. We know going down that road can lead to serious mental health difficulties. The unemployed are six times more likely to suffer from a psychiatric illness than those in employment, and are two to three times more likely to take their own lives.

Everything must be done to overcome those difficulties. Small and medium enterprises have a key role to play. We recognise the work of the IDA on job creation and the recent announcements that have been made, but our own indigenous small and medium-sized enterprises are also key and must be encouraged to provide employment and opportunities for those who find themselves in a difficult situation. I welcome that fact that the Finance Bill builds upon the SME supports introduced in the budget and includes measures to support small and medium-sized enterprises. The SME sector will drive economic recovery across the country and I welcome the Government's commitment to supporting the sector. The primary focus of the budget and the Finance Bill is job creation.

We do not hear much about the poverty trap now. It still exists for unemployed people who might be offered short-term employment of a few weeks duration. They find it difficult to decide to move off benefits because it is very difficult to recover those benefits. The system should show more flexibility when a person is offered short-term employment.

I welcome the €35 million allocated this year to the introduction of A Vision for Change, but we have yet to see the plan that is in place to develop those mental health services.

The plan this year is to bring in over 400 professionals to develop the community-based mental health services. It is important that the plan is in place quickly because the delay last year frustrated the implementation of it and there has been a carryover to this year.

Finally, I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch's, commitment to the area and support on this. I am looking 12 months ahead-----

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