JOBLESS FORUM:THE PROSPECT of single-party government by Fine Gael is "very worrying", the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed has said.
Speaking at the publication of its “election manifesto”, head of policy and media Bríd O’Brien said it was “crucial” the new government did “not cut welfare payments any further”. Fine Gael had pledged to cut €10 per week from welfare payments by 2014.
Ms O’Brien said she was concerned there appeared to be a trend, “from the EU-IMF deal to Fine Gael policy”, that the way to address unemployment was to cut the duration a person could claim unemployment benefit and to cut the payment itself.
“Government has to get the jobs issue right first before they start giving more grief to welfare recipients.”
The organisation’s chairwoman Ann Ferguson said: “It is very worrying that that party is selling itself by saying they will take €10 a week more from the poorest over the next three years without even adding ‘unless circumstances improve’. It is removing all hope.”
The manifesto poses four questions it wants people to ask canvassers:
What will you do to tackle unemployment?
Will you reverse the cuts made to jobseeker’s allowance and benefit?
How will you improve services to unemployed people?
What will you do to create decent jobs?
