Donegal Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Doherty calls for real action on unemployment

Published: 30 June, 2010

Speaking in a Seanad debate on the PRSI Incentive Scheme, Sinn Féin Senator and Spokesperson on the Sinn Féin Jobs for the Unemployed campaign, Pearse Doherty has said that tokenistic gestures such as the PRSI Incentive Scheme go no way towards addressing the crisis of unemployment.

He said that the government needs to start implementing real policies and a real strategy for job creation immediately.

Senator Doherty said:

"This motion on the PRSI Incentive Scheme, tabled by Fianna Fáil Senators is happening on the same day that new figures show that there has been a jump of over 6,000 in the amount of young people signing on in the last month.

"It's clear that Fianna Fáil have no strategy for curbing the rising tide of unemployment. The best they can come up with are tokenistic gestures such as this PRSI incentive scheme which is paltry at best.

"The reality is that at a time when the social insurance fund has dried up completely and has for the first time to be bolstered by the Department of Finance, giving employers a holiday from PRSI payments simply makes no sense. Participation in the scheme is also being capped at 5% of the existing workforce, so it's clear that this in no way addresses the very real problems of unemployment that exist and are continuing to grow.

"Thousands of young people have left universities, ITs and colleges the length and breadth of this State and the only prospects open to them are to sign on or emigrate. Stemming the haemorrhage of jobs and skills and concentrating on getting young people into work should be the crux of Government policy.

"We in Sinn Féin have put forward many innovative proposals in terms of job creation. All of which are costed by government departments. It is our firm belief that our proposals, if implemented would go a long way in terms of getting Ireland back to work. Proposals such as those contained in our Youth Unemployment document:

- Investment in a youth jobs fund which would create 20,000 new jobs
- An individual plan for the long-term prospects of every person under 25 on the live register
- 2,000 places on a 'One More Language Scheme' to give the young unemployed a chance to learn an extra foreign language
- 10,000 new CE places
- 1,000 places on conversion courses at third level to help graduates convert their skills to potential growth sectors
- A 'National Development Scheme' to employ people directly on public works projects, employing 2,000 workers

"These are just some of our proposals of which we have many. We need action on job creation now. Doing nothing and wishing the problem away won't do any good. Paltry gestures such as the PRSI incentive scheme show a lack of imagination and an unwillingness to deal with this issue in an effective way."ENDS