Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am with the Minister on this issue and the proposals in the Bill are realistic. The majority of unemployed people want to engage with the system and Senator Cullinane referred to people who have worked their entire lives. They would be the first people in to see how they can get assistance and training in order to help them back to work quickly. Unfortunately, a small section of the community has no interest in work and they will milk the social welfare system for all it is worth, making little or no effort to engage with either training and education or assistance in seeking employment. There should be sanctions for people who will not engage.

I heard a frightening statistic recently arising from a sixth class teacher in a primary school conducting a survey on what people would like to do when they completed their education. The main ambition of 75% of those in the class was to sign on for social welfare and draw the dole. We must break such a mindset and get people thinking about work and making a contribution to communities and society. They must know that there is no such thing as hand-outs for life. Unfortunately, in my part of the world I know two, three or four generations of people who have never worked, and they have suffered very little loss of income during the downturn. Conversely, the people who have worked all their lives, with a large mortgage and while putting their kids through education, have suffered and really lost out in recent years.

This is a reforming Minister but we are spending over €20 billion every year on social welfare. We must examine every aspect to see how we can get value for the taxpayer and people providing the funding on an ongoing basis. If there are abuses of the system, they must be stamped out, but above all we must encourage people to engage with the system and explore opportunities for work, education and other training. This will enable people to make a contribution to society, and I support the Minister in this regard. There are sufficient safeguards for people who find themselves in a difficult position because of family or other commitments, and they will not be penalised if there is a genuine reason not to engage at a certain time. They may have to engage at a future date. I support this section.