Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

I second the motion and congratulate my colleague, Senator Coghlan, who placed this motion on the Order Paper more than a month ago and who has advocated this issue on behalf of our party in the Seanad.

We will withdraw this motion unreservedly if the Minister can give a commitment to the House tonight that there will be no cuts in community employment. If that commitment is given there will be no need for this motion. This intention has been outlined in the motion and in the statements issued by Fine Gael on this subject. We wait to hear what the Minister has to say. The intention of the motion is to elicit clarification of the Government's intentions and commitment on this important issue.

Community employment works. It is one of the few Government interventions which succeeds in encouraging people back to work who have been out of the labour market for a considerable period. It has created benefits throughout the country. It is important, now that unemployment is rising, that the many low-skilled people who have not had a chance to work in the Celtic tiger economy and who now face unemployment be given the opportunity to come back to work through community employment schemes. There is all-party consensus that community employment schemes are working, particularly in disadvantaged communities.

The squabbling that took place between the Tánaiste and the Minister of State, Deputy Tom Kitt, in the course of the general election was, therefore, ridiculous. On that occasion Deputy Kitt gave an absolute guarantee that no community employment places would be lost. On the "Liveline" radio programme on 15 May, saying he was acting on the direction of the Taoiseach, he said the party had not been consulted on the restructuring of the schemes. The Tánaiste said the restructuring of the schemes and the reduction of the total numbers on the schemes was a Cabinet decision. Deputy Kitt went on to say there were ideological differences between Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats over the move. However, these comments were dismissed as electioneering by PD sources.