ORM tools don't take away anything from SQL/JDBC, as they allow you full transparent access to the language and API whenever you need. Therefore, your development time _with_ an ORM tool never will be slower than without. Consider the additional features you get using ORM software, and check for each feature if its a) worth using in your scenario and b) how likely will it introduce new problems and c) how hard is it to learn. If the net result looks positive, use it.
My experience tells me that many features an ORM tool can provide have a positive impact on development performanc and personal happyness of the developer (and hopefully the DBA). See my blog entry a few days ago about "Comparing ORM tools", might be related.
http://blog.hibernate.org/cgi-bin/blosx ... ersistence