I seek an urgent debate on motion No. 14 on the Order Paper. Last December, my Sinn Féin colleagues and I requested that the Minister for Social Protection be invited to the House to debate the concerns being raised in communities across the country about the JobPath scheme. I ask the Leader to do this as a matter of urgency and certainly not later than next Wednesday. I am aware that the Minister is busy on other matters and he might be even busier by this day next week.

No.

He certainly is busy. We asked last December that he be invited to the House-----

Sinn Féin is only finished canvassing in the North.

Leader, I discourage you from interrupting Senator Conway-Walsh.

Unfortunately, we are not in government here yet, but when we are we will not be privatising social protection in the way it has been done with JobPath. JobPath is an absolute scandal. I asked specific questions last December when I and Senators Ó Clochartaigh and Gavan raised this matter first. One question was about the set-up of the JobPath scheme and, in particular, about Seetec and Turas Nua, which are operating in my constituency. Those questions have not been answered, and I want answers. I want answers because what I continue to hear-----

Members, I find it hard to hear the speaker when people are talking in this room. I ask Senators to leave if they want to talk. It is not fair and it is happening day in, day out. The same people are constantly talking. In fact, yesterday I spotted a Member in the corner on a telephone. That is not allowed in the Chamber. If a Member wishes to make a telephone call or speak to another colleague, please go out to the ante-room. I am sorry for interrupting you, Senator.

That is okay. I agree with you. Last June or July, the Minister said he was going to refer 60,000 unemployed people to private operators under the JobPath scheme, to take the people off the live register and make the numbers look good. We need a proper examination of this.

I have encountered cases where people more than 60 years old, who are waiting for hip operations, are being sent to sit in front of a computer 20 miles away simply to take them off the live register. What is happening here is a scandal. We must have our questions answered. I do not wish to see it become the subject of another "Prime Time Investigates" programme. We should not have to depend on RTE making investigative programmes to bring these matters forward and to be able to question and answer honestly.

If the JobPath scheme has not worked and if we have paid out huge amounts of money to private providers and entangled ourselves in contracts we should not have entered, we must come clean with the people, particularly the people who are not allowed on community employment schemes because they are already committed to JobPath and are ordered miles across rural areas to attend stupid courses that are of no relevance to them. I look forward to seeing the Minister in the House within the next seven days.