Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)

I ask the Leader of the House to invite the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coughlan, to the House for a comprehensive debate on unemployment. The Leader is working very hard to maintain the relevance of this House and its responsiveness to important daily issues and no issue is more important in this regard than that 327,000 fellow citizens have no work to which to go today. I suggest we have a full debate on unemployment that will focus on a couple of areas, such as the tourism sector, particularly cultural holidays. I refer to Ireland's heritage and a range of great literary and cultural figures, notably in my county and people such as Percy French in County Roscommon. There is major potential to do more, to create jobs and to attract tourists. With the Leader's professional background he appreciates what I am talking about and it is necessary.

We should examine a more radical school building programme. There is a generous sum in the budget for it but in the present context we should have a comprehensive school building programme where there is a school in need of refurbishment or a new school is needed. The proliferation of prefabs costs a fortune. Cheaper contracts can be agreed now; money would come back in taxation and jobseeker's allowance would be saved. This social reform has major social and economic potential in a cost neutral way.

I would like green energy to be incorporated into the debate on unemployment. The people will thank us for it and will see us responding to their needs. I refer to the co-operative wind farms as we developed the creameries of old. Farmers and other groups should develop small wind farms and hydro energy. I ask the Leader for a full debate on unemployment, a real response to people and then people will say the Seanad is doing what it should do.