Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)

Statements on job creation and innovation are hugely important. This debate should be seen as an opportunity to do more than simply knock the Government, although we all like to do this from time to time. The Government deserves to be knocked for its failure to create jobs. However, we should also use the opportunity to look at and focus on solutions. It is easy to point out where the Government strategy has gone wrong and there is no doubt it is going wrong. It has been announced today that 40 jobs will be created in my townland. However, this time last year we were losing 40 jobs a day in the same county and we are still haemorrhaging jobs in County Donegal, in which the unemployment rate is 21%. The total workforce in the county is just above 60,000, but there are 21,000 on the live register which accounts for over one third of the workforce. This rate of unemployment is not replicated anywhere on the island of Ireland. The unemployment rate in County Donegal has always been above the national average. When there was full employment, we had an unemployment rate of 12%, according to the household index surveys.

We need to look at solutions. We need a different and radical approach. The public tends to focus on what Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael offer. What they offer is very similar. I listened to Deputy O'Dowd speak last week during the Deputy Enda Kenny and Deputy Richard Bruton battle. He talked about how different Fine Gael was from the Government. He said Fine Gael would not cut €1 billion from the capital budget but would take it entirely from the current spending budget and that the Government cuts were not tough enough. A report on third level fees will be published in the next few days. How will the Fine Gael proposal on third level fees help to create jobs in counties such as mine? In Border counties it is very easy for people to get an education in the Six Counties and the proposed graduation tax will place third level institutions in Letterkenny, Sligo and Dundalk at risk.

We need to look at the solutions being brought forward by other parties. I have helped to draft policies to tackle youth unemployment which Fianna Fáil supported and stated were sensible. Why do we not invest in job creation? We hear much about the 80,000 people under 25 years who are unemployed. Why do we not instruct FÁS to develop a long-term career path for every one of them? If a person under 25 years remains unemployed for a period of time, it will be difficult for him or her to get back into the jobs market. We know jobs are not available and that people need reskilling and retraining. Going to a local FÁS office and being told this or that course is available is no good. Everyone is unique and has different skills and abilities. We need a pathway for each and every unemployed young person. Why do we not recruit career guidance teachers who would be available between now and September to provide such a service for the under 25s during the summer months? Why do we not look at a job creation strategy to invest State money in getting people back to work instead of having them on the dole? That would require a radical shift from the policies of the two major parties which want to cut, cut, cut, instead of invest, invest, invest.