Ray Butler (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the Upper House. I am delighted and honoured to have been appointed as Fine Gael spokesperson on social protection by the Taoiseach. I look forward to working alongside the Minister in this challenging and complex area in order to take the necessary strides in closing the gap to achieve a more socially just Ireland for all. As spokesperson, I wish to emphasise how social protection is interlinked with so many other Departments. I believe this must be taken into consideration across these Departments to ensure a positive outcome for each citizen.

We are all too aware of the effects of the economic downturn on services and people, both collectively and individually. Harsh decisions had to be made taking into consideration Ireland's circumstances at the time. On the rare occasion when an incorrect decision was made, it was acknowledged and swiftly rectified. Incomes and living conditions were greatly affected by the economic crisis.Now we have the opportunity to take appropriate measures to address these anomalies. We must provide employment for all, financial relief for our citizens, a higher quality of public services and stability into the future.

I welcome the good news on the latest figures released last week by the Central Statistics Office, CSO, which show that unemployment has fallen again for the 13th consecutive month, this time by 500. When Fine Gael first came to office, unemployment was at an all-time high of 15%; today, it is at 7.8%. It is very encouraging to know that we are moving in the right direction, with the figures to support that. The Pathways to Work Strategy 2012-2015 has played a key role in that regard. Job losses are the first casualty of any recession and the changes in lifestyle that brings to both individuals and family life has far-reaching consequences. Job creation must be a top priority across all parties. Underpinning this, the Government must ensure that work must pay and be more valuable than being on welfare.

The Government's Action Plan for Jobs 2016 under the current Pathways to Work strategy addresses the issues and challenges for the long-term unemployed. Since last year, JobPath, which mainly assists the long-term unemployed to secure, full-time paid employment or self-employment - long term being over 12 months - has been rolled out on a phased basis in large towns and cities, and further locations will be added this year. JobsPlus is designed specifically for the employer to encourage and reward those who employ jobseekers, in particular those who are on the live register long term.

It is refreshing to see that the JobBridge scheme, originally set up to assist the labour market and the labour force at that particular time, is now being replaced with a new scheme fit for today’s circumstances and market. I congratulate the Minister on taking that initiative and I look forward to the outcome following its review, together with the implementation of the replacement of it with a new scheme in September.

The recalibration of our social welfare system to ensure that jobseekers are given every opportunity to work while at the same time protecting the most vulnerable in society with fair income supports is vital. The Minister's positivity in terms of looking into certain areas that need restoration is refreshing, such as introducing the K class and S class stamps, the restoration of dental treatment benefit, looking to increase disability benefit and allowance, carer’s benefit and allowance, and the blind person’s pension while increasing the State pension and the living alone allowance above the rate of inflation, affirms his and this Government’s commitment to creating a socially just, inclusive society for all.

The next area I wish to address will come as no surprise to the Minister, or anyone else, as I have campaigned vigorously throughout my political career for equal social protection entitlements for the self-employed. I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet the Minister to discuss that entire area. I am encouraged to see that reform measures to offer protection and security for the self-employed at vulnerable times are a priority for him and the Government, as the self-employed and small business are the engine of our jobs sector.

I look forward to seeing the Minister back in the House next Tuesday to debate the motion I have brought forward on social protection for the self-employed. That has been one of the greyest areas in social protection for the past 50 years, and we saw it come to a head during the Celtic tiger crash when there was no help for those people when they needed it.

On Friday, approximately 150,000 families will receive the back to school allowance providing for 0.25 million children. Children between four and 11 years will receive €100, and children from 12 to 22 years, providing they are still in full-time secondary education, will receive €200. That allowance goes a long way in helping families who struggle at this time of year with the cost of uniforms, books, etc. I would encourage any parent who is unsure if they are entitled to this assistance to make an application and find out.

With regard to our rural economy and the agrifood sector, I understand that a review with insights, experiences and input from the various farming representatives concerning the farm and fish assist schemes is being considered. Current farm families and their incomes must be supported and improved, and I am certain that the Minister will take into consideration the necessary changes required in the taxation system to support this ever-expanding sector.

We must examine the retirement age coupled with our improved life expectancy figures published today. These factors lend themselves to a huge variety of vastly experienced individuals who can and wish to remain involved in their communities. Such a wealth of resources would make an incredible contribution to services locally, such as providing support and helping our ageing population who are not in a position to continue contributing themselves. The surge in our ageing population, which will only continue, requires taking proactive measures now in terms of policy making, planning and delivery of services if we want to ensure that older people remain active and independent within their communities as long as possible. I urge the Minister to examine pensions for single elderly people living on their own. They are finding it extremely hard to survive with all the additional charges heaped on them in recent years.

Criticism is regularly hurled at politicians for their supposed short-sightedness. I congratulate the Government, and the previous Government, on their long-term planning, ambitions, goals and achievements to date. While I accept we have a long way to go, I believe this steady positive progress is moving us closer to bridging the gap. I am very happy that the Government is putting €1 billion a year into a rainy day fund as the economy allows and grows, because the short-sightedness of the Celtic tiger Government not putting any money away for those rainy days left our vital services and everybody in this country in a very vulnerable state.