Vol. 416 No. 8
2 Mr. Taylor asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will elaborate on statements recently attributed to him to the effect that long term unemployment will be a permanent feature of the Irish economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I presume that the Deputy is referring to my intervention in the debate in this House on a motion for a jobs forum on 26 February 1992. On that occasion I spoke of the challenge of providing jobs for the unprecedented number of people who are seeking work in this country. It is an enormous challenge. I commented that the enormity of the problem means that there are no instant or short term solutions. It is important that we are not beguiled by suggestions that there are. However, it would be wrong, to attribute to me the view that long term unemployment is a "permanent feature of the Irish economy."
That policy must have regard to the demographic pressures over the remainder of this decade when some 60,000 people per annum, representing about 25,000 net extra people each year, will be seeking to enter the labour force here. Various groups, such as the ESRI and the Industrial Policy Review Group — also called the Culliton group — have noted this and also the implication that our serious unemployment problems are likely to be a feature of life in Ireland for the foreseeable future.
It is in this light that I advocated that a new forum on unemployment should address the needs of the unemployed, particularly those of the long term unemployed. I recommended a number of issues that such a forum could, I feel, usefully address. I have also indicated my belief in the importance of ensuring that the unemployed themselves have the opportunity to present their views and proposals through unemployment action groups and similar initiatives.
Determined action is needed to address their understandable frustration and sense of alienation and to accord them a more meaningful role in our society than that which they have now.
While agreeing with the Minister when he says that the increasing levels of unemployment present an enormous challenge, leaving aside variations in policy between those of his party and mine, would he not agree that, on the facts alone, that is a challenge he, as Minister for Industry and Commerce, and this Government have palpably failed to meet; that the regular, inexorable increase in the numbers of our unemployed cast a blight and shame on this country; that the Minister, by his statement, holds out no prospect for even holding the unemployment levels obtaining, let alone reducing them: that it is a policy of despair, in effect, is no policy at all; that the Minister and this Government are playing no active interventionist role to provide those jobs we need so badly and have needed so badly for a long time?
After that ideological speech, Sir, may I say that the Deputy might turn his attention towards the regular, inexorable increase in employment here over the past five or six years, details of which I will be giving in reply to a later question. The fact of the matter is that, unlike most other European countries, we have a regular, consistent increase in employment. The fact that we have very high unemployment now is due to demographic factors, of which I am sure the Deputy is as well aware as I am. Indeed this Government have faced that very unusual problem in a very constructive manner.
Would the Minister not agree that a major component of the problem is the reliance of himself, as Minister for Industry and Commerce, and of this Government on the private sector to create the levels of employment we need; their failure to intervene in the economy, in the public and semi-State sector, to actively go in there and provide those jobs? Would he agree that the problem is that this Government do not recognise that as an essential factor in the equation in tackling our unemployment problem and that until that is done the fugures will continue to spiral merrily on their way? Will the Minister agree there is little point in saying that the levels of employment have increased while our emigration and unemployment figures go up?
We cannot debate this matter at Question Time.
Whatever about anything else, certainly our emigration figures are not going up. The Deputy wants me to ask the Government to concentrate primarily on the public sector. I am not prepared to do that and, so far as job creation is concerned, it would not be wise. The primary engine for growth here now and in the future will be the private sector. The public sector have an important part to play but it is not a predominant one and it will not become a predominant one.
