John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Data from the Nevin Economic Research Institute suggests that 90% of the jobs created in the past year were in Dublin and the eastern side of the country. That agency is recognised by the Government as having pretty good facts in recent years. I would like to hear the Government's comments on the statistics from the Nevin Economic Research Institute. The regions have suffered disproportionately in the recession and are being left behind once again.

Yesterday's spring economic statement sent a clear message to Irish emigrants - I think this is what was meant to be sent - that jobs are being created at home. We are told that all jobs lost during the recession will be replaced by 2018. I would like to delve a little deeper into this by considering the unemployment figures.

The Government spin-doctors claim that the unemployment rate in the south east has fallen from 21% in 2012 to 11.9% or thereabouts at the end of last year. However, they are not so keen to publicise that the number of people on JobBridge schemes in my constituency of Waterford increased since by 300% since the initiative was introduced. The number of people who took up places on the Tús programme increased by 400% in the same period. A JobBridge internship might take a person off the live register but it is not a long-term sustainable job.

Every Deputy has heard countless stories of abuse of the system. The Taoiseach may well have heard of companies having a revolving JobBridge chair. In the main it means exploiting workers. They force people to work for very little and, apart from the work experience they get, it invariably leads nowhere. That is exactly what happens with many of the schemes. All one has to do is speak to workers who have been forced on the schemes or who have come off the schemes.

Any drop in unemployment in Waterford and elsewhere in the region is largely attributed to job schemes, the continuing flow of emigration and people returning to education. All the statistics show that. The Government should not insult our exiled emigrants by telling them that there is work for them if they come back to Ireland when clearly there is not work.

Waterford has been left high and dry in terms of the third level sector. The Government's political interference has made a mockery of the 20-year dedicated campaign for a university in the south east, which affects everybody in the region and not only in Waterford. Despite promises from Fine Gael as far back as 2008 that it would prioritise university status for Waterford, the Government has actually reduced funding for WIT by 25% since taking office.

Allowing this regional imbalance to build as the country moves back to recovery will have dire social and economic consequences which no amount of spin will conceal.

If we were to ask the many thousands of people on hospital or housing waiting lists, carers or a chap who has lost his job after working for 30 or 40 years about these promises, what would they say? I know many people who made a huge contribution to this economy only to be asked by their local social welfare office whether they are actively seeking work or told they would not get unemployment benefit unless they went on a Tús scheme for €20 per week or a JobBridge scheme for €50 per week. How insulting would that be to such individuals? A television programme due to be broadcast in the coming weeks will reveal that many people are being treated in this manner.

The Government may be out of touch but Social Justice Ireland is acutely aware of these issues. That organisation stated that the spring statement is unfair, contradictory and disappointing because it lacks clear guidance and vision on policy or a commitment on making Ireland a better and more just society. The Government might consider engaging with Social Justice Ireland because it has invested considerable effort in analysing the Government's performance.

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