Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

FÁS plays a significant role in training and many people owe their careers to the opportunities provided by the organisation. It also plays an important role in community development and the maintenance of community amenities. However, the social needs of the participants on FÁS schemes are often overlooked. When participants exceed the age threshold or have been on a scheme for a specified number of years, they must leave and they cannot return. I was involved in an exercise in recent weeks to establish the profile of many of the participants. More than 80% fell into the social needs category and the primary issue is not whether they have a job for life.

When these people are forced to leave a FÁS scheme, they are unable to get a job and this was underlined strongly during a recent edition of the RTE Nationwide television programme. A FÁS project based on a bog in rural Ireland was visited and the participants were interviewed. One elderly participant was asked what it meant for him each day to leave his home and do this work. He replied simply that it was like coming to paradise. I understand fully what he means. When that lifeline is cut off from him and many others like him in the midst of our great affluence, their quality of life will disappear and they will have to remain at home. The capping issue can be corrected easily by approaching it on the basis of social needs of participants. If that is not done, we will have lost our way in cherishing all the children of the nation equally.