Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Even if the most progressive Government with money at its disposal were to take power tomorrow, it would find itself challenged to undo the damage this Government and the one before it have done to the people, particularly in rural areas, of this country. There is a lot of spin these days from Government about so-called recovery, the spin doctors have been in overdrive in the past few weeks. I wonder are those who employ the spin doctors absolutely detached from reality. The reality is that in many parts of the country, particularly in coastal communities, there is no recovery and no sign of one.

Around the housing estates of rural Ireland, people are listening to that but they laugh cynically when they hear it, because they are seeing none of it. There is a lot of talk of job creation, but many of the new jobs cannot even keep one person out of the claws of poverty, never mind keep a family warm, fed and educated. The working poor have grown and multiplied, as this Government has co-operated in using the economic crisis as a pretext for employers to undo the constructive work of the trade union movement over decades to improve the lot of working people, to introduce proper wages and conditions, to work within the principles of free collective bargaining, to protect workers against the uncontrolled ebb and flow of a globalised economic system.

The race to the bottom in wage rates, zero hour contracts and the implementation of a "you're lucky to have a job" mentality, which suggests that workers have no right to expect decent wages and conditions, was demonstrated clearly by the recent Dunnes Stores strike and subsequent treatment of the workers by their employer.

The number of young people in the State without a job is a real worry. Is it any wonder, therefore, that young people are still taking the boat and aeroplane to Australia and Canada, with 15,400 fewer young people in employment since the Labour Party and Fine Gael entered government in 2011? What is even more depressing, especially in rural areas, is that this state has the highest number of young people from working class backgrounds who are not only out of work but also not even in training or education. They are isolated at home, often without even a bus to take them to the nearest town. For rural communities, the effect on the younger generation is serious. They see small businesses in their communities closing down and transport services being cut, as well as post offices and Garda stations closing. The possibility of working locally has been reduced, while the few jobs that might be available are for minimum wages and often there is no guarantee of a proper week's work. Is it any wonder that young people are moving away? Figures show that for every job created under the Government, five people have emigrated. The number of long-term unemployed has risen from a figure of 30% in the first quarter of 2007 to 60% in 2014. I will repeat that shocking figure because the Minister may have thought he misunderstood me. The number of long-term unemployed in the State has risen from a figure of 30% in the first quarter of 2007 to 60% in 2014.

I welcome the motion and hope all Members of the House will find it in their gift to vote for it, particularly those who like to call themselves supporters of the working class, the poor and the marginalised, as the Labour Party once stated it was. The motion is an attempt to afford basic rights to workers. It is a sad reflection on how far we have come since the 1913 Lockout that we are bringing forward proposals to ban zero hour contracts in 2015, to provide for the payment of overtime and the implementation of the EU directive on part-time work. I ask Deputies to support the motion and thus defend low-paid workers and those on zero hour contracts who are dependent on all of us to come to their aid.

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