Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Comments have been made on our benefits system by various international bodies. Several of them - I do not know whether the Deputy agrees with them - have indicated they would like to see reductions in the rate of payment to people on long-term unemployment benefits. I believe the way to go is not to reduce the weekly rates, as Fianna Fáil did when it was last in power by reducing the rate by as much as €16.40 a week, but to concentrate on activation, as well as getting people into education, training or work experience as a preliminary step to going back to work. The figures show this has already proved successful.

We inherited from Fianna Fáil a social welfare system that international commentators described as a passive system.

In other words, once people were included in the long-term jobseeker's scheme, they were left in it. There were very few activation measures, other than through the old FÁS structures which, as we know, had many limitations. Now everyone who is or becomes unemployed is dealt with in a case management system in which they are dealt with face-to-face. They are engaged with to see what we can do to help them to get back to work, the route to which may be through education, training or an apprenticeship, but whatever it takes, we will go the extra mile to get those who are unemployed back to work. That is the critical aspect.

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