Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)

It might be, but I am not a barrister.

I have concerns. While I completely understand what the Minister is saying about sanctions, that 10% of people, no matter what the Minister does, will want to find a lazy way out, do not want to work, want everything for nothing and have never known anything other than this, however, there are others who need to be motivated. Given that the Department only has 61 job facilitators to deal with the 450,000 unemployed - each one of these 61 facilitators is responsible for 7,000 persons - I cannot see how they would be able to counsel, motivate and support that many persons. That is a considerable number of persons to have to deal with.

The idea behind the work placement programme put in place 12 months ago by the two Ministers, Deputies Hanafin and Coughlan, is a really good one. Some 2,000 positions were provided, but the uptake has been disappointing. I am interested in hearing what the Minister has to say in that regard.