Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is worth taking a moment to reflect on the history here. When we think of JobPath and we think of the originators of JobPath, and it is a shame that none of them is here this evening, it proves the point that the Labour Party in government gave Fine Gael the cover it needed to introduce some of the most right wing, draconian policies ever seen in this country.

Let us be absolutely clear. When one privatises a job service, one is taking a leaf directly from the Thatcher play book. It is Thatcher economics. Of course, that is what Fine Gael is - the Thatcher party. God knows, we have suffered enough over the past seven years to understand that.

It is a shame, and it is deeply ironic, that the leader of the Labour Party was the champion of privatising the employment services. That takes some doing. One could not make it up. It is a pity. We could have had a potentially really beautiful YouTube moment here tonight where perhaps one of our Labour Party colleagues could have repented publicly for the cameras but I guess they are busy this evening. It is a real shame.

In terms of JobPath, the Senators know what it is about on the ground. Frankly, I am surprised the Minister, being from a working class area in Dublin, does not know what it is about. It is about the guy whom I spoke to the other day in Limerick who explained to JobPath that he would not be able to attend his interview because he was looking after his invalid mother and was told that if he did not attend he would have to attend at social welfare to explain why and have his payment cut off. That is what it is about. It is about harassing recipients. They start by going once a month. Then they are told to come twice a month. Then they are told to come each week. It is about driving them, unfortunately, for the most part, into precarious work. When we hear these wonderful job figures trumpeted by Senator Burke, he does not tell us about the significant growth in precarious and low-paid work because that does not suit.