Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will start on a positive note by congratulating the Minister on her appointment as director of elections for the Labour Party for the European and local elections, if that information is correct. I hope she will have sufficient time to give to her official duties despite these onerous responsibilities. All I can say is that if she can attract the same positive public relations for the Labour Party as she manages to attract for herself then all may not be lost.

As I have stated, Pathways to Work is central to the Government's labour activation policy. We are now three years down the road since its announcement. There is a separate section in the programme for Government on the programme. The number of staff allocated to deal with clients is hopelessly inadequate despite recent increases. The Taoiseach has promised that the programme will take 100,000 long-term unemployed people off the live register. How many people has it actually taken off to date? The Government has now promised to involve the private sector. I read a report under the name of Niall O'Connor in the Irish Independent on 15 December which stated that the Government will not be ready to roll out this programme until the end of the year at the earliest. That would make it four years down the road. Will the Minister agree with me that what has happened to date and what is projected to happen in future demonstrates a lack of seriousness and urgency in respect of this important programme?

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