Ivor Callely (Fianna Fail)

We all agree that we go into the budget with an unsustainable gap between our income and expenditure. We needed strong and decisive leadership to address that and this budget shows Ireland is capable of addressing its problems head on. The budget represents a comprehensive approach to addressing the problems the country faces. We have won the support of the general public but, equally, we have won the support of the European and international markets.

We must now ensure we maintain our attractiveness as a location for multinational investment, indigenous enterprise, jobs and export-led growth. It is only by doing so that we can earn our way as a country with profitable enterprise, growing employment and the means for the State to provide services to those in need.

I wanted to go into the figures in the Fine Gael motion and those in the Government amendment on unemployment. Unemployment is best measured by the quarterly national household survey. The last seasonally adjusted figures for July to September 2009 released by the CSO earlier today show 279,800 people unemployed.

In looking at these numbers I am struck by the terrible waste of time and energy these numbers represent, while I am conscious of the enduring need for additional resources in the community and voluntary sector. We are all aware of the impact that unemployment or under-employment has on individuals. I have seen it in my area. It ranges from health issues, to family issues, marital breakdown, addiction and mental health problems. At the same time there is a pressing and growing need among the community and voluntary sector for additional supports. Such groups generally have a need for more people, more money or both to carry out their roles. These organisations play a vital role in the social fabric of Irish life and the localised services they provide can make an enormous difference to entire communities and to the disadvantaged and vulnerable in our society.

Among the unemployed, there is a large number of committed, eager and well qualified individuals who could provide enormous benefit to these community and voluntary groups. There should be a system that could marry the pool of available resources, in the form of the unemployed or under-employed individuals, to the needs of the community and voluntary sector. I propose that community and voluntary groups would be encouraged to provide short-term opportunities, which I refer to as the national community volunteering scheme, to the unemployed to carry out work in the community that would not otherwise be performed

Community groups would pay the unemployed person the same money as he or she is entitled to from the Department of Social and Family Affairs. The scheme would operate similarly to the community employment scheme run by FÁS but with a number of key differences relating to eligibility. FÁS schemes generally require participants to be unemployed for 12 months whereas a targeted scheme where eligibility is established after four weeks would be more appropriate in the current environment. In addition, the scheme would be under the control of the Department of Social and Family Affairs which would refund the equivalent money to the community or voluntary group. Thus there would be no additional cost to the State while there would be clear direct and indirect benefits to all concerned.

Such volunteering could be done on a whole or part-time basis. There may be some minor administrative requirements associated with this proposal, such as a need for clear guidelines to ensure work carried out did not displace existing paid employment. Equally, any benefits for the unemployed person, such a medical card entitlement, should not be affected by such volunteering. There would also be a lower threshold in terms of hours volunteered and possibly a time limit for involvement of 12 months.

Perhaps the most important benefit is the sense of self-worth that such volunteering would give to the individuals concerned. Communities would also benefit directly and for society in general there should be a reduction in the negative impact that unemployment has on individuals and communities. I will be asking my Government colleagues to review this possibility urgently so that the benefits to individuals, communities and society at large can be assessed and acted on without delay.

There are also further possibilities in terms of providing support to the community and voluntary sector on the part of those who are in employment and I have recently called for a mechanism whereby such individuals could participate.