David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)

I second the amendment proposed by Senator Norris. I wish to record the opposition of the Sinn Féin Party to any motion from the CPP as long as Sinn Féin is prevented from having group status. We are not against the substance of the two motions but as a matter of protest, we will stand against them. Does the Leader agree that the comments from the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, about people who are out of work were inappropriate? Will the Leader join me in recognising that people do not make a lifestyle choice to be out of work? The only lifestyle choice that those people make is between the dole and the aeroplane ticket out of this country. Some 100,000 young people have emigrated from our shores and 500,000 people have lost their jobs since 2008. Some 460,000 people are out of work and all of those people are victims of very bad policies by politicians. It was not their fault that they ended up in that position.

It is wrong to blame the victims and engage in name calling and stigmatising of the many young people who are out of work. It is an attempt by the Labour Party especially and by the Government to divert attention away from the fact that the promises made by that party to create tens of thousands of jobs and to protect the vulnerable in society are not being honoured and have disappeared. Those young people, and many young people out of work, get up every day of the week and face into a process of sending off letters and CVs to companies seeking employment. Many of them have low self-esteem because it is so difficult to get a job in this State. When they hear comments such as those made by the Minister for Social Protection it adds to the self-esteem problem many of those people experience. It is appalling that well-paid Ministers and other politicians who sometimes live in ivory towers have no idea what it is like to have to try to find a job today.