Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join Deputy Peter Burke in congratulating the Minister, Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor, and the Minister of State, Deputy Pat Breen, on their respective portfolios and I wish them all the best. As we know, our economic recovery rests on our people and their ability to find work. Creating the conditions that facilitate people to return to and remain in work will be of paramount importance and is a core function of our economy. Only by supporting people at work can we pay for the services needed by everybody. Investment in health, housing and public projects needs a growing work base.

By 2011, the year the Fianna Fáil and Green Party Government ended, our national debt had increased from €47 billion in 2007 to €189 billion. The figure is very stark and we will have to deal with this economic reality for decades. Unfortunately, many of the improvements I would like to happen have been radically downgraded because of it. Goals, such as treating self-employed people fairly and helping working parents with child care, have been diminished as a result of it. We must be mindful of this. However, I am hopeful for the future. I am confident that with our programme for Government, which sets out a very ambitions plan, we will be able to achieve some of this trajectory into a better action plan for jobs and avoid some of the mistakes that were made in the past.

Is one's work one's worth? It is a rhetorical question. Our work gives us a sense of purpose and place in the world. It connects us to society and gives us a routine. When a person loses his or her job, it is a very personal blow and creates great pressures for him or her both economically and personally. The previous Fine Gael-led Government's record on job creation is its proudest achievement. Enormous progress has been made in reducing unemployment, as Deputy Peter Burke said. We have reached a very encouraging 7.8% and I hope the downward trajectory continues. It is a very positive improvement from 15.1%. Many people make enormous contributions and sacrifices in their workplaces and they must be looked after. While we must look after people in receipt of social welfare, we must also look after people who are working.

I have a particular interest in the self-employed. I have been self-employed for 20 years as a businesswoman. I employ people and I have kept them on through the recession of recent years, which was not easy. I am glad to see that by 2018, we will have increased the earned income tax credit from €550 to €1,650 for the self-employed, which will match the PAYE credit.

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We will also seek to introduce a PRSI scheme for the self-employed and provide a supportive tax regime for entrepreneurs and the self-employed. This is a start, and I very much welcome it. However, I want to see the equalisation of treatment between PAYE workers and the self-employed take place as expeditiously as possible.

It is of concern to me that there are 300,000 self-employed in this country, a large number of whom live in my constituency. We do not rely on the State for anything. There is no real safety net, if somebody is ill. Even though I have two sons I went back to work after eight weeks as there was no advantage to me in taking an extended maternity leave in those circumstances. That has an impact on women and locks them out of the labour force on returning to work. We need to take a more in-depth look at that. While I welcome what Fine Gael is doing in the programme for Government and in regard to the self-employed, we need to do more in the future.

I believe that fostering a culture of the benefits of work in our young people is vital. The Minister, Deputy Mitchell O'Connor, with her background, will be aware that the primary schools have introduced the early entrepreneurial programmes that teach pupils in a hands-on manner how to write a business plan, apply for a loan and bring the project to fruition resulting in a profit or loss - the very core of the business experience. For these children from generational unemployed families, it shows that work is empowering and opens many doors as opposed to living on welfare all of the time.

We have achieved much and will achieve more in the future. I am optimistic about that. The Minister can rest assured I will do all I can to help create more jobs through the Fine Gael Party, in particular, to look after the self-employed and working parents who also have children.

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