Mary White (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Government parties' pre-election promises on creating employment and the much promoted action plan for jobs are not delivering, leading to disillusionment and a loss of hope among Irish people. The Central Statistic Office, CSO, figures published last week indicated that almost 15% of people are unemployed, including almost 30% of young people in the 20-24 years age group. Almost 60% of the total number have been unemployed for longer than one year. The figures also indicated a 29,500 decrease in labour force numbers in the first six months of this year, which seems to imply that 40,000 people are emigrating annually. Almost 800 Irish people are emigrating every week. This most frightening trend in the figures shows that the Government's much promoted action plan for jobs is a failure. In the January-April period of this year, there was a consistent decline in employment. Between April and June, the decline was significantly worse. I call for an amendment to the Order of Business to require the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, to attend the Seanad today to tell us why the Action Plan for Jobs is not working and the rate of decline in employment increased in the first six months of this year. I am sure that most Senators will have read that the ESRI published figures showing that 94% of the people who are in receipt of unemployment benefit would be better off in employment, even after taking the costs of child care and travel into account. This puts paid to the notion that people would prefer to be on the dole than at work.