Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Kelly asked about the stability programme update and the implications for unemployment. The Government is very seized of the very serious unemployment situation because of the impact of the pandemic on the economy and society in general, particularly for young people. I have said that we need a new deal for young people emerging from the pandemic. It is a new deal that needs to create a society that encompasses education, employment and quality-of-life issues as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government's economic recovery plan focuses on areas such as creating jobs in the green economy, and the digital transformation particularly of public services and also our society more generally. In that respect, the implementation of the broadband plan will be essential.

An early manifestation of that commitment came with the apprenticeship programme launched by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, and the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins. That is a very expanded apprenticeship programme and internship programme, particularly within the State service. The number of apprentices within Government agencies and semi-State bodies had declined. The apprenticeship strategy now is designed to increase that to 750 per annum within the public service and State agencies but also to reach a figure of 10,000 apprentices per annum in the coming years, which will create opportunities for young people. The recovery plan is designed to create a pathway towards employment creation in the coming years to get back to pre-pandemic employment levels over time.

Deputies Kelly and McDonald also asked about the opening up and easing of restrictions. Both those Deputies had become converted to the zero-Covid strategy; I do not know what their views on that are now. Prior to the end of March, we said that by the end of April we would consider the reopening of hairdressers and barbers, and that whole area of personal services. We understand that hairdressers and barbers, in particular, have been under extraordinary pressures in respect of their businesses and enterprises. We will obviously take health advice, but we want to be in a position next week where we can hopefully signal positive news to hairdressers and barbers, but that will obviously depend on how we progress in suppressing the virus in the coming period.

Considerable progress has been made in reducing the numbers, particularly the numbers of people in hospital and in ICUs. By and large, the people have adhered to the regulations and guidelines. That has yielded dividends and has enabled us to be in a position to at least consider and examine the sectors that we could reopen. A number of people identified that area.

Regarding the emerging economy, as I said, the green economy and digital transformation are two key themes. My Department is also working on a well-being framework to analyse how society measures up, not just the economy and GDP but actually the quality of life within society.

In all of the contributions, Deputies spoke about unemployment. The level of State intervention in the past year has been unprecedented. The level of supports from the State for workers in particular has been unprecedented and will continue. The allocation this year for housing is in excess of €3.3 billion, for homelessness in particular. I agree we have more work to do in terms of homelessness. Everything we do has to be within the law and within the constitutional framework. Deputy Boyd Barrett knows that, but tends to ignore it in all of his contributions and wants to brand the Government in a certain way. The Government wants to reduce homelessness progressively and incrementally and we will do that.

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