Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to make a contribution on this important Bill. I acknowledge and thank the Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock, for being present today and wish to raise a couple of items. Part of me was somewhat reluctant to comment on community employment schemes because of the contribution by Deputy Connaughton, for which I was present in the Chamber. However, another part of me wished to speak in support of his comments. I am approaching this issue from a real-life experience, having worked in an earlier life as a FÁS community employment scheme supervisor for eight happy and quite rewarding years. On taking up that post in 1995, which now is 20 years ago, one thing I appreciated deeply from the outset was the value of a community employment scheme for many people, including some who probably would never find themselves in mainstream employment. In my community in Lucan, a number of those community employment schemes were wound up over the years because full employment was about to be reached and I had hoped that at least one scheme would remain for the very reason I have identified. Through networking with other schemes and supervisors over those years, I gained a further appreciation of the importance of community employment schemes because many people who participated in such schemes probably would never aspire to employment as most of us would know it. Moreover, it had a value in keeping some people out of pubs, bed or bookmakers' offices and in keeping others out of hospitals and off medications. It was a real benefit to the quality of life of some of those who participated in some of these schemes nationwide. At that time, I found myself with a deep appreciation of the value of community employment schemes and I suspect that value still remains today for those people. I acknowledge the Minister and the Department of Social Protection are very much constrained and restricted because of the financial circumstances but I make the point that it is important to maintain focus on, as well as interest and investment in, community employment schemes for some of those reasons.

The other point I wish to make pertains to post offices. A number of Members have referred to post offices, including Deputy Naughten for whose contribution I was present. Sometimes does not get the full picture. I acknowledge there have been financial restrictions and reconsideration of the locations of post offices. As for my own community in Lucan, however, on becoming a Deputy four years ago, I engaged with An Post in what I thought was a meaningful fashion and I acknowledge and thank An Post for that. The net result of this work over the past three and a half to four years has meant the opening of a new post office in Lucan. As someone told me recently, we probably are bucking the trend in this regard. Nevertheless, the point I wish to make is that where there is real engagement and the putting forward of a proper case study, in my experience I have found An Post to be fair and amenable. In this case, such engagement marked the agreement to open a new post office, which hopefully will take place within the next few weeks.

Reference was made to social welfare. I have engaged with the Minister, Deputy Burton, and her Department over the past four years. Lucan, for example, is the fastest growing community in Ireland but does not have a social welfare office at present and I ask the Minister of State to make note of this point. I acknowledge there are particular issues relating to the acquisition of the suitable modern facility that is required but because of the particular circumstances in Lucan, I believe there is a definite need for a facility. Finally, I congratulate the Minister and her Departmental officials on the work they have undertaken on fraud over the past four years since the Minister took office. There has been significant improvement in this regard. While more is needed because outstanding issues remain, there has been remarkable effort and investment, which is to be welcomed. I wish the Minister, her officials and the Department continued success. Members may be aware of the old story from years ago about when someone got on a bus. From my earliest days, I can remember hearing people tell the bus conductor "here are a few pence, go ahead". What was happening was the person concerned was paying under the rate and the bus conductor then pocketed it. However, the net result was the fares were increased for the rest of the people. For as long as fraud continues to take place, the people of Ireland are paying for it. Everyone will benefit in wishing the Minister every continued success in her efforts, as well as those of her Department, to eradicate the scourge that is fraud.

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