Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)

It is extraordinarily disappointing and pretty outrageous that the Minister has not bothered to turn up for this debate, which is about defending and protecting one of the most vulnerable sectors of our society. The Government amendment is a scandal in that it has diluted to nothing a very good motion put forward by Sinn Féin which articulates the views of the tens of thousands of people working in and benefiting from the community sector in this country. It is important to note that this motion essentially arises from what some of our most vulnerable communities and sectors of society have asked for, namely, protection of community employment, services and projects that are so vital to sustaining those communities. The Government's indifference to this motion and its dilution of it is indicative of its contempt for some of our most vulnerable sectors of society.

We are speaking here about projects and employment schemes that provide services for children, young adults, mothers, people with literacy and drug problems, immigrants and all other vulnerable sectors of our society in our most advantaged areas. These projects and employment schemes are a lifeline for those communities. Our society will be picking up the tab for years to come if the Government does not give us assurances that there will be no further cuts or, indeed, a reversal of cuts, in this area and that workers in this sector will be given the right to engage in proper negotiations so that they can at least have some chance of defending themselves against the brutal cuts that are being imposed on them. It will cost society and our most disadvantaged communities if the Government persists with the bludgeoning of these projects and workers.

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