Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I refer to page 36 of the programme for Government and the Action Plan for Jobs. In the past few days, particularly in respect of the summer economic statement, we have heard across the Houses about broadening the approach to the need for increased labour due to a lack of workers for the jobs being created in the economy. Approximately two years ago, I mentioned in the House the covert discrimination that older people looking for work and in the workforce face. The Government has gone some way to address this with the €10,000 incentive given to those who employ someone aged 50-plus who was long-term unemployed. However, those in the 55-plus age group who have done manual labour come to my office to say that they find work difficult because their bodies cannot stand up to it after having worked for 30 or 35 years. There could be another ten or 15 years' work in these people. We must drill down into that and look to these people to fulfil that need in our economy, which will aid our competitiveness.

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