Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister, Deputy Bruton, should be congratulated on the work he is doing to create jobs, training and opportunities within the constraints of our economic situation. Some €6 billion in funding is being provided from the pan-European fund that is being set up for youth unemployment and I hope we can obtain a significant proportion of that because youth unemployment is a significant issue here. Some €2 billion in funding is also available from the development capital fund, the partial credit guarantee scheme, the venture capital fund and a variety of national pensions reserve fund SME funds to try to stimulate our economy and get people back to work. These initiatives are practical and realistic. If there is a criticism to be made, it is that the Government needs to tighten up on its figures.

I am sorry for Deputy Doherty. He is not the son of God and will not be able to re-enact the miracle of the loaves and the fishes if he is ever in power here. There are significant financial constraints in the economy, but we are working with them to get people back to work. The Minister should be congratulated on the work he is doing to focus in on and target areas where we can create employment. We have been very successful in that over the past couple of years. We have seen an increase in jobs within the private sector and have seen international confidence restored and I hope this translates across the country over the next couple of years.

I hope we can have a positive outlook and see the potential of our young people and get them into work and training. There is a significant number of initiatives in place and we must target as many people as we can for reskilling and retraining. They have worked in unskilled jobs, but now need to acquire the kind of skills necessary today. The Government is working to do this. That is what we hope to achieve for everybody in the country.

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