Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 12 Dec 2007

Vol. 644 No. 1

Industrial Development.

Deputy Kieran O’Donnell

I have raised this issue for two reasons. First, I submitted a parliamentary question to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment on 29 November last. The figures outlined in the Minister's response were disappointing. I learned that just five IDA-backed companies have opened in County Limerick since 2002. There have been seven start-ups in the mid-west region as a whole during that time. No new IDA-supported projects opened in County Limerick in 2002, 2003 or 2004. There was one start-up in each of 2005 and 2006 and there have been three start-ups to date in 2007. While the people of Limerick welcome such developments, we do not think they make a significant difference to the county's employment figures.

Recent IDA reports indicate that the number of IDA-backed jobs in Limerick increased by just 139 between 2002 and 2006. Our counterparts in Dublin enjoyed an increase of 3,373 in the number of IDA-supported jobs over the same period. The increase was 1,812 in Cork and 1,567 in Galway. Some counties with smaller populations than Limerick enjoyed larger increases in IDA-backed employment — there were increases of 742 in Kildare, 529 in Waterford and 407 in Leitrim. Jobs have been lost from two Limerick companies over the past year. The loss of over 100 jobs at Fulflex and a similar number of jobs at Atlas Aluminium was hugely significant for the region.

Second, Limerick will have to deal within a month with the closure of the Aer Lingus service between Shannon and Heathrow. The people of the mid-west will be at a major disadvantage when they are no longer able to access 40 cities throughout the world. The Government gave Aer Lingus permission to discontinue the service, in effect, when it failed to use its 25% stake to ensure that the Aer Lingus decision was reversed. The loss of the Heathrow service will do major damage to Limerick and the rest of the mid-west region. Furthermore, Aer Lingus has not committed to providing transatlantic flights from Shannon after the summer of 2008. Many people in the mid-west are worried that Aer Lingus will stop its transatlantic flights after it has ended its Heathrow service, especially now that we have entered the open skies era.

I note with interest the recent suggestion on the part of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Dempsey, that the Government might renege on the mid-west's €53 million tourism and economic development plan, comprising €44 million for tourism development and €9 million for route support. This cannot be allowed to happen. The plan was produced in June 2006 by the Mid-West Regional Authority in association with all the stakeholders in this sector. It was launched amid great fanfare in July 2006 by the then Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen. Two other Ministers — the then Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Deputy O'Donoghue, and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin — were involved in the production of the report at that time. I note that the Minister, Deputy Martin, who is the only one of the three to remain in the position he held at that time, is not present for tonight's debate. The €53 million plan must be retained to allow the mid-west region to market itself in the new environment that is developing as a result of the introduction of the open skies agreement.

I welcome the arrival of any IDA-backed company in the mid-west. State-supported companies account for more than 17% of total employment in the region, whereas nationally the figure is as low as 14.8%. I want the Minister of State to make absolutely certain that Limerick will be given priority by the IDA for the introduction of new large-scale companies.

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Deputy Billy Kelleher)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I refer to competitiveness in the global market place. IDA Ireland is actively pursuing all opportunities to promote Ireland as a whole but it also takes regional development into account in order to achieve a balance across the country.

I note projects such as the Atlantic rail corridor, the tunnel under the Shannon, the University of Limerick and other infrastructural developments in County Limerick. The region is a key area and the IDA is at the forefront in promoting research and development, linking up high value-added and knowledge-based companies with universities. These are the types of projects being promoted by the IDA in its travels throughout the world.

I acknowledge the great work being undertaken by the IDA in promoting Ireland as a whole. The Deputy is correct in that some areas benefit more than others in the context of embryonic spin-offs from large companies already situated in a place. The IDA cannot direct where a company wants to set up but we can encourage and direct it into certain areas and this is being done. The mid-west has a very strong IDA-supported employment base which it is hoped will continue.

Reference has been made to access to the mid-west. The Government is actively pursuing airlines and encouraging them to consider Shannon Airport. The open skies policy is in place but I am confident that Shannon Airport will continue to prosper in the context of the transatlantic routes as it is the nearest link to the east coast of the United States. I do not share a pessimistic view of what is happening in the mid-west in which there are great opportunities as a result of large capital infrastructural developments. The IDA must take note of balanced regional development but the Deputy will understand that it cannot direct a company to locate in a particular area, as this decision is based on other considerations such as sister companies and others engaged in similar activity.

I will endeavour to obtain a more detailed reply for the Deputy, as I know he has strong opinions on the subject. I will highlight his concerns and convey them to the Minister, Deputy Martin, and the IDA.

Deputy Kieran O’Donnell

May I ask a supplementary question?

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

I am afraid not, as there is no provision for supplementary questions.

Community Employment Schemes.

Deputy Paul Connaughton

I am grateful for the opportunity of raising this matter. While I am delighted to see the Minister of State, I am somewhat sorry that the Minister, Deputy Martin, is not present to hear what I have to say. It concerns a matter, the community employment scheme, which forms now part and parcel of community life in every parish.

My constituency of Galway East is no different from any other. In January and February well over 100 community employment workers will be told to go home, in other words, they will be finished with CE and FÁS schemes. Some might say FÁS is just a training agency and the people concerned should be trained to do something else afterwards. However, there is a cohort who work for community groups which are sponsors. Most of the people concerned are in the age range of 57 to 62 years. Because of their lack of skills for the outside world, they will have no place to go and they are the first to admit this but they are outstanding workers at what they do. They build walls, look after grounds and take great pride in what they do. In 2008 most of them will be back on the dole, a place in which they do not want to be. The only thing staring them in the face is that for the next five or six years until they reach contributory old-age pension age they will be on the dole. They are needed not only in rural parishes but also by organisations in towns such as tidy towns committees, wheelchair associations and others involved in community work. What is even worse is that if they could be easily replaced, one could see another tranche coming to take their places but that is not the case.

About five years ago the Minister made a minor change which allowed CE participants to work an extra four or five years. Therefore, a precedent has been established. There is no reason this group could not be allowed to continue to work with dignity. Any doctor will say many are given a new lease of life by working on CE schemes because they meet their neighbours. For obvious reasons I cannot name any the people concerned but I wish to give an impression of the type of person involved.

The participants in one CE scheme who will be getting their walking papers in the middle of January include a man aged 59 years who is separated and living alone; a man aged 58 years who has a young child; another man also aged 58 years; a widow aged 57 years with no support in the world; two more aged 61 and 63 years, respectively; a person with a mental illness and a widower aged 61 years. They have no other place in the wide earthly world to get a job other than on a CE scheme. This situation is replicated all over the country. In the week or two before Christmas, if the Minister has any feelings at all — I do not care what the bosses in FÁS say about the training philosophy and all that jazz — he will need fix it only once because this tranche of people will not be there again and the matter will resolve itself in four or five years.

Deputy Billy Kelleher

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter.

The FÁS community employment programme is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a fixed-term basis. Community employment helps unemployed people to re-enter the open labour market by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work routine and assisting them to enhance their technical and personal skills.

I am informed that the rural social scheme is under the aegis of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. I understand its main purpose is to provide income support for low-income farmers and fishermen and to provide certain services of benefit to local communities. The operation of the scheme is, in the first instance, a matter for the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

Deputy Paul Connaughton

There is a cap on that scheme also.

Deputy Billy Kelleher

I understand what the Deputy is saying.

As regards the community employment programme, in 1999 the programme was restructured to limit participation by new participants to three years, with effect from April 2000. This change was introduced to encourage unemployed persons to progress to training or education and employment options, where possible. However, this three-year cap was amended in August 2001 to allow particularly disadvantaged persons to remain on the programme for a further period. In general, approximately 20% of participants, including persons under 55 years of age, have benefited from an additional year on the programme under the flexibility guidelines introduced in August 2001. In November 2004, to cater for older workers, the three-year CE cap was revised to allow those of 55 years of age and over to avail of a six-year period on CE, based on participation since 3 April 2000. This was introduced in recognition of the fact that older participants may find it more difficult to progress into the open labour market.

In July 2006 my Department published its sectoral plan under the Disability Act 2005. One of the key highlights of the plan is to increase participation rates of people with disabilities in community employment over the period of the plan. In order to provide additional training to assist progression to employment for people with disabilities under 55 years of age, the participation limit has been raised by one year from three to four years and for people with disabilities over 55 years of age, the participation limit has also been raised by one year from six to seven years. The upper age limit for CE participants is 65 years.

FÁS is continuing to develop the content of the community employment programme. The new approach involves the introduction of an individual learner planning process which is focusing on meeting the learning needs of participants. The individual learner plan is providing for the planning, organising and recording of the work experience, training and development of each participant while working on the community employment programme. It also includes further training and development for supervisors, a new application process and quality assurance procedures. Under this individualised approach, FÁS has proposed four new FETAC awards relevant to both community employment and job initiative learners, including certificate in personal and social employment skills level 3; certificate in vocational employment skills level 3; certificate of applied employment skills level 4; and certificate in specific employment skills level 5. These new awards will facilitate all of the planned learning completed on community employment or job initiative schemes by each participant being rolled up into the achievement of a FETAC award. This will provide added value to the learner and will support their progression to further training or employment.

Funding for community employment in 2007 has been provided with a view to maintaining overall numbers on FÁS schemes. That is an important fact. Currently, more than 22,000 people are employed on community employment schemes nationally. In delivering these places, FÁS operates flexibly in the management of this allocation in order to maximise progression to the labour market while at the same time facilitating the support of community services. This provision of places is managed through a standardised application process between regional FÁS offices and local sponsor and community organisations and any issues regarding the allocation of places are dealt with in this context. However, it should be remembered that, in so far as participants remain on community employment, they are precluding someone else from benefiting from the programme.

Deputy Paul Connaughton

Not the people I am talking about.

Deputy Billy Kelleher

FÁS makes every effort to ensure that differing levels of demand between neighbouring schemes are equalised. FÁS also operates the programme flexibly as far as possible to ensure the continuation of community projects.

This Government will continue to support the positive role of community employment schemes in meeting the needs of long-term unemployed persons, while at the same time providing essential services to communities. In this regard, we are keeping the operation of the scheme under constant review.

Human Rights Issues.

Deputy Joe Costello

The Government cannot refuse for ever to put an adequate inspection regime in place to prevent the possibility of extraordinary rendition of prisoners transiting through Irish airspace and territory. The Government must fulfil its international obligations in regard to human rights. The Minister cannot say "No" forever.

The Human Rights Commission report entitled, Extraordinary Rendition: A Review of Ireland's Human Rights Obligations, was published yesterday. The commission concluded that diplomatic assurances received from the United States Government with regard to the issue of extraordinary rendition flights passing through Irish territory were not sufficient for Ireland to satisfy its human rights obligation. This is a body that was set up by statute to vindicate human rights and the Government is expected to take its recommendations seriously. An equivalent body operates in Northern Ireland and we expect that recommendations made on both sides of the Border should be taken equally seriously.

The report from the Irish Human Rights Commission also stated that it had obtained evidence that as far back as 2003 the Government had raised concerns with the United States about extraordinary rendition flights suspected of transporting prisoners through Shannon to Guantanamo Bay, but beyond raising the issue with the US Government it had been decided to take no other action. To date, the Government has refused to take action.

Two Council of Europe reports were critical of Ireland's position, as was a European Parliament report, and now the report of the Irish Human Rights Commission, which is a statutory body. All these bodies have expressed grave concern about the use of Irish airspace in regard to the CIA practice of extraordinary rendition. The only response from the Government has been to stubbornly refuse to put in place any inspection regime and stubbornly persist in accepting assurance from the United States Government which are not founded on any evidence the Government has been given.

The only people in this country who believe the Government's position is the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the other members of Government. The ordinary people in the street do not believe there has not been some invasion of Irish airspace in respect of extraordinary rendition. The simplest things to do is to dispel the view that is abroad and acknowledge the circumstantial evidence that those four reports to which I referred have produced to date.

The Labour Party rejects the Government's stance on this issue. Human rights are sacrosanct and, given Ireland's reputation on the espousal and implementation of human rights, the Government should respond positively and quickly to the concerns expressed by domestic and international statutory bodies on human rights.

Deputy Billy Kelleher

The Minister apologises for his absence and hopes the Deputy will understand why he is not here this evening. I wish to state unequivocally that we owe a debt of thanks to the Human Rights Commission for reviewing a matter which has rightly caused much concern across Europe and further afield. So-called extraordinary rendition is a seemingly innocuous term for an horrific and illegal practice often leading to secret detention and torture and to which the Government is completed and implacably opposed. Quite simply, extraordinary rendition has no place in any democratic society which respects, or purports to respect, the rule of law and human rights. In this, the Government, the Human Rights Commission and, I am sure, this House, are at one.

Unfortunately, while we all recognise the evil of extraordinary rendition, I regret to say it would appear that the Human Rights Commission, in its recommendations, has failed to do adequate justice to the seriousness of the issue, the complexity of the necessary responses and the comprehensive actions already taken by the State.

Deputy Costello is correct to draw attention to one of the core recommendations of the commission's report, namely, that the State should introduce an inspection regime as a matter of urgency; that this regime should apply to aircraft from any state in regard to which suspicion exists; and that it should be properly resourced and overseen by an independent body.

These interlinked proposals are made against the following backdrop of established, indisputable facts: that extraordinary rendition has been a most regrettable reality; that international bodies, including the Council of Europe and the European Parliament, suggest that where extraordinary rendition has occurred, it has occurred very far from Irish shores; that at no stage has any evidence emerged, or even a specific allegation been made, that any person has ever been subject to extraordinary rendition through Ireland, a fact acknowledged by the President of the Human Rights Commission; that in arguing that the assurances received from the United States at the highest level are inadequate that extraordinary rendition has never and would never be practised in Ireland, the Human Rights Commission has sought to rely on international jurisprudence relating to a very different type of assurance; and that no other European country has an inspection regime as proposed by the Human Rights Commission.

The practice of extraordinary rendition has been memorably described as a spider's web. To help sweep away such a web, any actions which we take must be based on the rule of law, have a realistic chance of success and deal with established realities rather than unproven assertions. It is precisely for these reasons that the Government, in its programme for Government, has sought to make a meaningful contribution to this issue by making two clear, explicit and unambiguous commitments.

It has committed itself to seeking EU and international support to address deficiencies in elements of the regulation of civil aviation under the Chicago Convention. As Deputies may be aware, this 60-year-old convention provides no requirement whatsoever for the supply of information on passenger, crew or cargo of a transit flight; and the Government has also committed itself to prioritising enforcement of relevant legislation, including the Criminal Justice (United Nations Convention against Torture) Act 2000. In particular, Garda investigation and enforcement efforts are being supported by making all necessary resources available for specialised training in the provisions of relevant statutes.

Members of the Garda Síochána already have full power to search civil aircraft in any circumstances where they have reasonable grounds for suspecting illegal activity, such as extraordinary rendition, and to carry out any necessary investigations. To suggest that the Garda Síochána should conduct searches where there are no reasonable grounds for suspicion, which itself amounts to unreasonable grounds in law, is fantastical. In particular, the mere assertion of wrongdoing is clearly and obviously insufficient grounds to merit inspection.

To date, where complaints of alleged unlawful activity concerning the use of Irish airports have been made to the Garda Síochána, Garda investigations have been pursued and, where appropriate, files have been submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions. In all these cases, no evidence emerged justifying any subsequent legal action.

The Government will continue its longstanding and strongly held opposition to extraordinary rendition. It will do so diligently, with meaningful initiatives and with a view to playing its full part in ensuring the end to this barbaric practice in whatever dark corner of the world it is practised. The issue is too important for ill-conceived measures for which no real justification has been put forward.

The Dáil adjourned at 9.10 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 13 December 2007.