Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This is a very important piece of legislation. I always give credit where credit is due so I will start by welcoming some aspects of the Bill. One section deals with making sure that the guardian of an orphan is not adversely affected due to payments made to them in that capacity. This has to be welcomed. The same goes for section 9(2), which deals with the rights of people with disabilities to work. People with disabilities should not be in fear of losing a medical card or any other disability supports because they want to enter the workforce. Unfortunately, here in Ireland people with disabilities are only half as likely as others of the same age to be in employment. Some of this is down the fear of losing some of the vital supports that they need and to which they are very much entitled. This part of the Bill clarifies the status of rehab work and of work in general and it is to be welcomed.

I take issue, however, with other parts of the Bill. I am disappointed to see that no element of it looks to chase down companies who owe over €450 million to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection in unpaid redundancy payments and insolvency costs. Some of these companies are now back up trading under different names, having left employees in the lurch and the State to pick up the tab. We talk about welfare fraud, but this behaviour is certainly in a league of its own in terms of cost to the taxpayer.

I would also like to raise with the Minister the concern I have over section 5(2), which deals with the public services card. I have heard Ministers claim that this is not a national identity card, but it is becoming ever more mandatory in dealing with the Department. If the Government wants to roll out a national identity card, let us have that debate, but it should not be rolled out by stealth, as is the case in this Bill. I also have concerns with the section that allows for decisions to award payments to be made by an automated information system. What happens if an overpayment is awarded? How can it be decided who was at fault for this? Will the claimant be declared a welfare cheat for being awarded a slightly higher payment than he or she was entitled to? I would welcome clarification on this.

Back in May, the Bill contained the aim to ensure that same-sex couples enjoy the same rights and entitlements to occupational pension schemes as any other married couples. Can the Minister explain why this was removed from the Bill? What does the Government intend to do now in this area? On a further point, we are still seeing discrimination against young people when it comes to social welfare allowances and benefits. We need to move towards ending this unfair discrimination: there should not be different social welfare bands for young people. There are other areas in which we will hopefully see some action from the Minister when it comes to the upcoming budget. Women, for example, are still facing discrimination when it comes to the State pension because of changes introduced by Fine Gael and Labour back in Budget 2012. These changes are affecting 36,000 people, mostly women who are now on a reduced State pension. This is a big issue for the public right across the State. While assurances on gender-proofing future Government decisions are welcome, we need to correct the injustices dealt out by the system first. I urge the Minister to make pension equality a central priority for the future, and we in Sinn Féin will be happy to work with the Minister and with all parties and none in achieving this.

I would also like to take this opportunity to address the issue of JobPath. Deputy John Brady and I have been meeting people who have been on this scheme and who have been working for the companies involved. Some of their stories are horrific, and the way in which some of these people have been treated is an absolute disgrace. It seems that no attempt is being made by the companies to deliver the scheme and put people in appropriate employment. Instead, it seems as if these companies just want to stuff people into full-time jobs so that they themselves can collect a payment from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. One of the worst examples I have seen of this is the treatment of substitute and part-time teachers, who say that they are being hounded because they are not in full-time employment. One woman contacted me and I will take the opportunity to share her story here. She told me that she had only qualified as a teacher last year but has been tormented by this JobPath scheme. She has had to leave her teaching job as a result and was never given the opportunity to interview for any teaching jobs. Her teaching qualification cost €12,000, which she now feels to be wasted. How on earth are we forcing a highly qualified teacher out of her profession and into a low-paid unskilled job, just because it is full-time? This is no benefit to society. I have met people and heard horrific stories from people, particularly from women, about how they have left JobPath interviews in tears. I hope that the Minister will look at this matter. I am also very concerned at the fact that this JobPath programme is causing local community employment schemes to dry up.

I hope that the Minister will take some of my concerns on board into the future and I look forward to working with her.

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