Budget makes Ireland colder place for unemployed

8 Dec 2010

In the 2011 Budget, the Government had an opportunity to give priority to tackling unemployment and getting people back to work and give hope to the 438,000 people currently on the live register. The Government also had an opportunity to protect the most vulnerable in society and to maintain the incomes of people who rely on social welfare.

Instead, the Government has decided to again punish unemployed people for their very unemployment by cutting welfare payments and other key social supports.

This budget makes Ireland a much colder place for unemployed people and today's announcements clearly demonstrate that the Government's priority is to continue to make unemployed people pay for the mistakes of others said John Stewart, INOU Co-ordinator. Cutting the basic rate of social welfare by €8 a week will have huge implications for people who are desperately struggling to make ends meet and this cut, coupled with the reductions in child benefit, will simply drive people deeper into poverty John concluded.

The INOU has consistently called on the Government to invest resources to tackle the unemployment crisis and get people back to work. The Budget has not delivered the type of comprehensive jobs strategy required to seriously tackle unemployment. Whilst the additional 15,000 labour market activation places are to be welcomed, this additional allocation is insufficient given the scale of the current crisis.