Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)

I thank the Cathaoirleach and his staff for selecting my matter for discussion on the Adjournment and I welcome the Minister of State. As the Minister of State and colleagues in the House will be aware, the EU globalisation adjustment fund was set up effectively as a precursor to the Lisbon campaign to gain popular support. However, the issue is not so much the background as the nature of the fund.

The assistance provided by the fund includes job search assistance, occupational guidance, retraining, lifelong learning and training allowances. I am sure the list may be interpreted flexibly. Applications for the fund must be authorised by a member state and be signed by an authorised representative, either a relevant Minister or European representative of that State. Based on all the information I have gathered from MEPs and from informal discussions, it seems that applications from member state governments which present a reasonable case will be accepted, and my understanding is that there is a considerable amount of funding available.

Tragically, there are now more than 430,000 people unemployed in this country, which represents an increase of more than 6,600 from last month. In April, the unemployment figure for the Border, midlands and west, BMW, region, the area I represent and on which I am focusing in this context, was 60,600, including 7,226 from my own county of Cavan. These figures demonstrate the size of the unemployment problem, which is exacerbated by globalisation. In a strictly theoretical sense, there must be a globalisation dimension to the unemployment problem, and that is certainly the case. Globalisation is a major threat to indigenous employment.

The current rate of unemployment is phenomenal and, without question, will rise, especially as a result of the job losses at Quinn Insurance. From attending meetings with the Minister of State I know he is only too painfully aware that 900 people have already sought voluntary redundancy from the company in the past month. These redundancies will come into effect in the next 15 months. Quinn is one of the largest employers in the Cavan area and the effect on the people of Cavan will be detrimental. Quinn workers would not readily obtain PEACE funding, so we must seek money from the globalisation fund. The labour activation fund has been established, which I welcome, but I am calling for this as an additional measure.

It goes without saying that our preferred solution at local level is to save the jobs by opening all the markets, but we have to deal with the tragic realities of job loss as well as consolidating and saving existing jobs. Our predominant strategy must be to save jobs, but this cannot always be achieved and we must deal with the situation as it is.