Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

The national development plan seems to be in tatters, going on recent newspaper reports which suggest the level of funding for infrastructural projects up to 2013 will be cut from approximately €40 billion to €23 billion. This means many road and rail projects will be axed. It seems there is no-joined up thinking on the part of the Government and no plan to tackle the scourge of unemployment which is wreaking havoc in every corner of the country. Take, for example, the construction of rest areas on motorways. Three are under construction, but it appears nine other projects will be shelved. Members in this and the other House asked that such areas be provided when the roads were under construction, which would have saved money. We now learn that nine such projects will be shelved. This shows that there is no joined-up thinking and no vision for the future so far as the Government is concerned.

On another matter, persons who are unemployed have to wait up to three months to receive jobseeker's allowance. Balbriggan, the Leader's town of Mullingar, Navan and Longford are the towns worst hit in this regard. It is a disgrace that people who paid PRSI on a weekly or monthly basis all heir lives must wait up to three months to receive jobseeker's allowance. This is not the first time we have raised the issue on the Order of Business, on which we have had pious platitudes from various Ministers but no answers. There is no excuse for people not receiving their benefit payments in proper time. I ask that the Minister account for his stewardship and that immediate steps be taken to ensure people will receive their benefit payments at the right time.

Earlier this year the Taoiseach pledged to bring telephone and Internet betting within the tax net by May this year but we still have seen no legislation in this regard. When can we expect to see such legislation, as the funding raised would be of paramount importance to the horse racing industry and all those employed within it?