The INOU calls on the Government to act

8 Nov 2011

JS1Today, Tuesday the 8th November 2011, the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed launched its Pre-Budget Submission in the organisation's office: Araby House, 8 North Richmond Street, Dublin 1.

"To-date the Government response to the unemployment crisis has been piecemeal and as the most recent Live Register figures show unsuccessful," said John Stewart, Coordinator with the INOU. "The INOU is calling on this Government to match their claim that they are prioritising jobs with correct level of investment," he continued.

Ann Fergus, Chair of the INOU, called on the Government to honour their commitment in the Programme for Government to maintain social welfare rates. "Unemployed people are struggling to survive and any further cuts to their social welfare payments and supports would bring unimaginable grief," Ann noted.

The INOU's submission focuses on four key Departments including: Social Protection; Education and Skills; Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation; Environment, Community and Local Government; and on the issue of taxation. The following recommendations were made:

Social Protection

  • Maintain social welfare rates
  • Choices must be given and be meaningful
  • Service design and delivery must be underpinned by a culture of enablement

Education and Skills

  • Provide a full range of training & education options
  • Ensure productive links to employment services
  • Ensure consistency of provision & meaningful progression

Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

  • Work with employment services to create access to decent employment for unemployed people
  • Ensure unemployed people seeking to create their own employment receive adequate supports
  • Support local, social and co-operative enterprise developments

Environment, Community & Local Government

  • Ensure that the appropriate housing supports are in place for unemployed people
  • Provide proper supports to local community and development organisations working on unemployment and related issues
  • Ensure that Local Government plays its part in creating the conditions for job creation and getting people back to work

Taxation

  • Broaden the tax base by taking immediate action on the Commission on Taxation's recommendations on tax expenditures / breaks - with the exception of Child Benefit
  • Introduce a Comprehensive Property / Wealth Tax to be levied on all assets - which should initially apply only to income earners above €100,000
  • Remove anyone earning less than the National Minimum Wage from the tax net - the introduction of the Universal Social Charge was a regressive step