Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I have learned much, including that this House needs to pursue solutions for genuine issues bothering and affecting people's lives at present. One of these is mortgages, which I am delighted we will debate this afternoon. Another is the serious issue of unemployment. Almost half of the total number unemployed, or 185,000 people, have been out of work for more than one year and are now classified as long-term unemployed. This is a serious structural issue for society, with damning social, personal and economic repercussions.

I have a proposal which I ask the Leader to present to the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, namely, that she immediately consider the provision of a voluntary part-time work programme to enable people to work for social welfare payments. I have evidence that there is a demand for such a programme. Through my office and the various agencies involved, I have received requests from unemployed solicitors, accountants and architects to avail of appropriate opportunities to carry out fulfilling work in return for social welfare payments. This is a no-brainer when people want to work. If further evidence is needed, when Fr. Seán Healy discussed the EU 2020 strategy with the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs last week, he presented a proposal to put 100,000 people to work on a voluntary basis while receiving the social welfare allowance plus €20 a week, at a total cost to the Exchequer of €170 million. I urge the Leader to present this proposal to the Minister and, more importantly, invite her to discuss it in the House. We cannot let the people or the spirit of the nation die. We cannot allow Australia to rob us of our people. The Celtic tiger proved that people wanted to work and they are willing to work for their social welfare allowances as part of internship and other programmes. We need to be proactive on the issue.