Govt Does Not Have Monopoly On Ideas To Tackle Jobs Crisis

Deputy John Lyons has welcomed the Jobs, Social Protection and Education Committee's engagement with a broad range of stakeholders on policy responses to unemployment.

"As a new member of the Dail, I want to bring the best ideas into Government policy on tackling the biggest issue affecting the Country. This is why, my colleague Deputy Michael Conaghan and I proposed that the Jobs Committee engage with business people, academics and civil society groups, to harness the best ideas to tackle the unemployment crisis.

"This engagement will complement the work already underway by the Government in the form of the Jobs Initiative, the Action Plan for Jobs and Pathways to Work. I believe these policy responses to unemployment can benefit greatly from the knowledge of other groups who have experience in job creation and preparing people for work.

"The Committee is seeking a broad range of opinions to inform its work and this includes an invitation to members of the public and any other interested parties to submit their proposals to jspe@oireachtas.ie by close of business on Tuesday, 1st May 2012.

"In our meetings last week we held discussions with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Social Justice Ireland, Dr. Mary Murphy from the Dept of Sociology in NUIM and Sean O'Driscoll the CEO Glen Dimplex.

"The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU), the National Youth Council of Ireland and a Local Partnership Organisation will give the Committee the benefit of their experience in responding the jobs crisis.

"This hearing will take place while the Minister for Jobs attends an informal meeting of EU Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs in Denmark on the issues of unemployment and youth unemployment. Unemployment and in particular youth unemployment are EU wide problems and I look forward to hearing the ideas for policy responses the Minister discusses at this meeting when he attends the Jobs Committee in the coming weeks."

(CD/Gk)