Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I realise the constraints on the Chair. As I said to Deputy Adams, the committee met on two occasions and will meet again next week. He may well ask what the committee on social policy does. It ensures there is a focus on the fairness objectives and social policy priorities in the programme for national recovery. It assesses and presents for Government's consideration options or alternative measures to achieve better outcomes or to address barriers to achieving social policy priorities. It also guides the development and the management of a number of cross-departmental strategies and responses in the social policy area, considers the impact of programmes and policy measures on disadvantaged or vulnerable groups, including those groups that are emerging as being vulnerable, and proposes alternative or new approaches as necessary. It prioritises service delivery, especially through cross-departmental and agency action.

As I said last week, the legislation to be introduced will deal with the question of the motorised transport grant. The Deputy may well ask what sort of progress is being made through the social policy committee.

Clearly, the primary weekly social welfare rates have been maintained. We have put in place a really proactive approach to giving people on the live register the opportunity to get into the world of work. No doubt Deputy Adams will be interested in the news from the chief executive of PayPal that 68 people from Dundalk were taken off the live register and are now working in that plant and are participants in confidence-building measures, which is where we need to be.

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