Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leader for yesterday's debate on jobs with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton. That debate was extremely timely, coming as it did on a day when the live register figure for unemployment dropped to 10.7%, which although still too high reflects 36 consecutive months of decrease in the live register. As the Minister pointed out, more than 144,000 people have left the live register to take up jobs in the past 12 months, which is extremely encouraging news. It was also a day when Calypso Technology, the US financial services technology company, announced 150 jobs.

We are seeing the good news on jobs announcements at this stage passing almost unremarked every day in the media. When I watched the news last night, that announcement was right down on the running order even though it is very important and is driving economic recovery. I ask the Leader that we would have regular debates on job creation and employment measures.

As the Minister, Deputy Bruton, said yesterday, this is not just happening in some automatic fashion but is driven by policies. Job creation and the reduction in unemployment are driven by policies, particularly the Action Plan for Jobs, measures in successive budgets to ensure that tax measures do not work against job creation and, of course, the Pathways to Work initiative of the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton, which has had a major impact in reducing long-term unemployment. Some of the more encouraging figures look at reductions in long-term unemployment from yesterday. I urge colleagues from both sides at least to join in welcoming encouraging news in job creation and drops in unemployment figures. I ask the Leader that we might have this debate regularly to highlight this very important development in the economy.