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

I thank the Minister for the history lesson, but let me elaborate on her knowledge of history. Under the old scheme as introduced by the previous Government, if somebody was unable to access a training or education place, his or her social welfare was not reduced; now it is automatically reduced and that is the fundamental difference. There were many people under the age of 26 who could access employment, education or training. If they accessed education or training they would be better off so it was an incentive. In a reply to a parliamentary question of mine on 8 April, last week, the Minister told me that people between 16 and 25 who are in neither employment, education or training number 85,200. That is 85,200 young people, one in six people under the age of 26, who are neither earning nor learning. Will the Minister accept that the changes in the budget provided no incentive? If she does not, can she tell me how many people they incentivised? Does she accept that the changes in the budget were simply a device to cut the social welfare bill?

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