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RTÉ HAS ROLLED back on its decision to sell the RTÉ Guide as part of operation reforms to reduce costs.
Last month, the national broadcaster outlined a number of measures it was taking to reduce operating costs and return to profit.
This included a pay reduction for top earners, reviewing the current broadcast schedules – RTÉ One, RTÉ Two and the player – closing its Limerick studio, and selling the RTÉ Guide.
Today, however, it has announced that it will not be selling the magazine after interested parties did not make “sufficient” offers to warrant it.
“RTÉ has made the decision to withdraw the RTÉ Guide from sale,” a statement said.
“Having considered a number of expressions of interest, none reached a level sufficient to merit a sale.
“The RTÉ Guide will remain part of RTÉ and we will work with the RTÉ Guide team on how we can best take the magazine forward,” it said.
RTÉ is funded by a combination of the TV licence fee and advertising revenues. The broadcaster said Ireland has one of the highest evasion rates in Europe when it comes to the TV licence.
Dee Forbes, Director General of RTÉ said reforms were needed to address the €50 million in revenue which is lost in this way.
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I see nothing wrong with this whatsoever
@just me: Me neither, overall. There are a couple of little flaws though. It’s not really fair to say you can’t be seeking work during the two weeks when you come back, nearly everything is online especially now so you can easily be job searching and sending out applications in self isolation. Also hard to see how they could even monitor travel. Usually you have to notify them you’re going away because you’ll miss the actual collection in the post office, but I think most recipients are receiving payments to bank account now since Covid so there’s no real need to even tell them if you’re jetting off. Great stance to take though, anything to discourage people from flitting off on hols in middle of a bloody pandemic.
@just me: Agree, although I think fines should be imposed on those working also.
@Jayne: you have to be available and genuinely seeking work. If you are self isolating you are not available for work.
@Sarah Connor: The vast majority of employees required to self-isolte on return won’t be paid for those two weeks. I’m not leaving the country this summer because a 2-week holiday would use up my entire annual leave for the year. It does affect us all.
@EvieXVI: As I mentioned below, you loosing money / time does not equal a fine paid back to the state. If you voluntarily put the health of the country at risk, the fine should be paid back to the state IMO.
@Sarah Connor: ok, so why not fine everyone who goes abroad? Including those on unemployment payments?
@EvieXVI: Yes I agree, fine everyone going abroad against official advice, thats exactly what I meant.
@Jayne: I’ve been told I that, because I can get to a post office, I cant have my welfare payments paid I to my bank account.been that way throughout lockdown.
@just me: this has got nothing to do with containing the virus. Its about stopping people from spending money abroad and forcing them to go on holiday in Ireland. Which would be fair if Ireland wasn’t just a bad place to on holiday in general. Rip off prices. Little to no tourist attractions. What about people who have endured this pandemic and all they want is to go off on a holiday and relax for a small bit. Other countries have already opened there borders. This is nothing but a sneaky attempt to stop people from going on holiday. Typical of fianna fail. They’ve only been in power for a few days and I already despise them.
@Jordan Osullivan: No one is being forced to holiday. Surely people can go one year without a holiday. Inconvenience yes but my god it won’t kill people to stay home for one summer! There are hotel deals for two and three nights for families on the likes of Groupon etc if people are that pushed to holiday.
@Jordan Osullivan: Nobody is trying to force you to holiday in Ireland. Its about stopping the spread of the virus. Do you really think Fianna Fail/Fine Gael/Greens could get it together to conspire to make you holiday in Ireland? You’re giving them too much credit
@Sarah Connor: Not everyone going abroad is on holidays. There are lots of essential workers who have to travel abroad
@Robert Conneely: If it’s essential and not holiday goers then of course it’s fine. Please read the official guidelines again – it says “NON Essential travels” should be avoided. Stop looking for excuses.
@Robert Conneely: Yes, that’s been covered
@Sarah Connor: would you like to move to North Korea by any chance. Define unessential travel or is it a prison state your cup of tea. Travel within Ireland is also non essential let’s all stay within our own counties for the foreseeable future.
@Jordan Osullivan: There is so many tourist attractions in Ireland . What do you define as a tourist attraction a water park or theme park … Ireland had the most beautiful landscapes in the world .
@Anthony Whelan: Thanks for the comment Anthony, I’ve seen a lot of your posts recently. We will never agree on anything I suspect. If you can’t understand why you should care about your community then all I can say is, may Karma be with you always.
@Sarah Connor: Within the community is hundreds of thousands of people who rely on opening our borders again for their livelihoods.
@Sarah Connor: you sound like a delightful person…
@Christy Reynolds: Yeah I know, I’m one of them
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: Thanks, you too X
@Sarah Connor: Yeah I agree with you. The singling out of people on unemployment payments for more penalties for breach of regulations than those still in employment smacks of classism too. It is a further penalty for those who are worse off financially.
@just me: penalising people for holidaying in other EU countries (which is perfectly legal in spite of the government’s recommendation) and not penalising people for holidaying in Ireland is totally and utterly illegal and contrary to basic EU law.
If the government actually tries to impose this diktat and it is challenged it will lose.
@Sarah Connor: There is no danger to any person to travel abroad. If any lives are at any risk the Irish state would ban all travel out of the country. By not banning travel and just advising not to travel the argument is lost. The state should make up it’s limp mind. Ban travel or shut up.
@Lauren Masterson: well said. The pathetic moaning out of the usual uneducated , selfish people in this country and their self entitlement of we deserve a foreign holiday because they had to sit at home through a pandemic . The majority have kept this country safe , the minority are trying to put us all at risk again
@Jordan Osullivan: I’m sure Diana Fail will be upset about that.
Good decision
@Sid: it’s a shame people sitting on the dole for years and not looking for work doesn’t seem to bother the department of social protection….
@Mr A: oh it bothers the DSP all right, it just doesn’t bother our politicians, who don’t have the political will to force the thousands of people that will never do a tap out to work. It is easier and will cause less headaches just to throw money at them and put them into a council house in a corner of town that the politicians don’t have to look at.
@Deaglán MacThóirdealbaigh: I don’t think that’s an unfair statement to make. Many unemployed have previously worked and paid their share in taxes etc. Every case is different and I don’t think you should pass judgement on people until you know their circumstances.
@Philomena Keegan: I have no argument with that basic justification for benefit, but strongly believe that the condition of being available for work needs consistent verification, because we still have a grey economy, & a more serious criminal economy.
Seems justifiable to expect persons seeking benefit to present for social employment for at least 20 hours per week, both to verify availability, but more importantly, to keep people engaged in a work routine.
I imagine too that a work for benefit regime would shake out the grey economy element to some extent.
Apart from the above, there is huge scope for socially beneficial work projects, which are being neglected for want of labour resources, or are dependant on variable voluntary effort.
There was a time when social welfare was to help those who fell on hard times and give them a chance to get back in their feet. Now we have people complaining that their dole is cut when they go on foreign holidays.
Great little country altogether.
@Chicken George: isn’t it just! I’m laughing reading comments of people moaning. Myself and my husband are working renters and the luxury of a holiday is something we haven’t had in a long time and won’t have in the next few years! The dole is sounding more and more appealing as the years go on!! At least we would have the chance at getting a ‘forever home’ and a two week holiday in the sun!! Sounds like quite a nice life!!
@Lauren Masterson: as someone who used to be classed as long term unemployed (although I did reskill a few times and took on temp jobs, part time etc was still reliant on sw)holidays were never ever something we could ever look at doing,still can’t.Our rent was the same as those working, along with our bills. We never got a free house.Only benefit I recieved in all that time was a medical card. After we got married (registry office with few family members) our payments went from 203 to 140 with the same rent and bills to pay.Trust me when I say life of social welfare is not a nice life!!!Delighted I found full time work (although was in travel, so not sure how secure it is, and he was in marketing for concerts etc).We are now franticly looking 4 new jobs just incase as have a baby on way.
@Chicken George: Who are these people complaining? One or two on the journal! lol Anyway, I agree it is a great little country we live in, so much better than America for instance.
@Lauren Masterson: I love the fact people think everyone on sw gets ‘free house’ there are people on list over 12 years because they get pushed back as a more deserving families ie: new irish’ get put to top of lists yet again Ireland been pc foe brownie points from our masters in EU as for money €203 is certainly not paying for luxury holidays so it’s obvious some are not unemployed or earning money other ways but that is certainly not the majority, I’m on invalidity hadn’t a holiday for last 8 years when made redundant my daughter bought me away last year for a week but there is no way I could have afforded it. myself, so take Rose tinted glasses of and look around can bet the ones on sw are not depending on it to have holidays but then everyone is tarred with same brush by people like yourself,
@Lauren Masterson: Life on €203 a week max, less for many people, is not la dolce vita. Single adults are not taking holidays, this penalty is most certainly aimed at younger people who were going to go on holiday with their families. €203 wouldn’t get you a weekend in a hotel in Ireland, not to mention two weeks abroad with flights, food, accommodation etc.
@Lauren Masterson: you and your husband are both working, renters, can’t afford holidays for years and your grudge is against people living the “nice life’ on the dole?!! I’d say you are not the only one laughing at some comments here.
So people going away on just say 2 weeks holiday have to self isolate for 2 weeks, Yet tourists arriving into Ireland can go and travel the length and breath of the country?
If the government are asking people not to travel abroad for holidays why don’t they put a ban on travel,That way people won’t be loosing out on flights& accommodation?
After all the airlines are not going let people rebook and one has said that people that don’t travel get no refunds.
@Dave Byrne: People coming in are also meant to isolate for 14 days, it does need to be monitored and enforced though, easier said then done it seems.
@Sarah Connor: of course it could be monitored- other countries can do it like NZ
@CoraG: Agree
@Sarah Connor: people coming in are asked to quarantine for 14 days. “Asked” zero requirement, so it would be illegal to put someone under surveillance.
@John Doyle: Yes I understand that, but think it should change, temporarily, for the duration of the pandemic.
@Sarah Connor: This quarantine is utterly unenforceable against visitors or people returning after foreign holidays, and denying the covid payment to people who holiday abroad in other EU countries, but not to deny it to those who holiday at home, is completely illegal under basic EU law.
@CoraG: Even NZ slipped up on that. Allowing people out of quarantine early for compassionate reasons, who later tested positive, after coming into close contact with sixty odd people who are now refusing to be tested to see if they have the virus.
This is completely outrageous. Especially given that people are on PUP because of the government’s regulations and not through any fault of their own. I’m not personally on PUP or jobseekers, by the way. But the direction this country is going in is dangerous and worrying. The case numbers are tiny. Many Irish counties have seen no new cases at all for a week or more. There is no justification for these extreme measures
@Newto2016: The idea is to keep it that way, other countries are seeing big surges now. Even if travelling to a “safe” country, you wouldn’t know where the people you come in contact with enroute have been.
@Newto2016: Pandemic still in progress.
@Newto2016: If i decide to leave the country my employer will require me to take unpaid leave for the 2 week quarantine period which is fair in my opinion. So it should also be the same for anyone claiming benefits also.
@Newto2016: This puts people on a par with those working who would have to take two weeks for self isolation at their own expense. These measures are very much warranted . Parts of Spain and Portugal are back in lockdown and parts of Italy. All main tourist attractions . If we want to keep our numbers low we stay at home but I also believe we should ban visitors from the US and a good few other places too.
@Newto2016: in fairness if they can afford holidays the need for these payments are questionable
@Newto2016: Catalonia imposed regional lockdown on 200,000 people following surge in Covid-19 cases just two weeks after travel restrictions were eased. As with any disease, options are to treat/isolate. We have an advantage of a two week lag where the government can make informed decisions based on the experience of other European countries but quite frankly such cavalier attitudes such as this put us all at risk of been thrown into another lock down senario
@Sarah Connor: you don’t know that everytime you leave your house here .
@Newto2016: it truly is outrageous and scary to see this happening and with people’s enthusiastic support.
@Ellen Day: some districts in the periphery of Lisbon have additional restrictions . They’re not on lockdown.
@Isabel Oliveira: True, but it’s currently low risk here, you could be sitting beside someone from a high risk country on a plane, or in your resort restaurant, or in passport control queue. It’s a higher risk to go through an airport then sit on a plane, than it is to go to a shop with a mask and proper social distancing in place. Look at New Zealand (although yes I know we have higher traffic here)
@Newto2016: sligo was one of those counties until an iraqi man returned on 22 June after 3 months and had covid and now 14 of his extended family in sligo are also infected after having family gathering to welcome him back… So that’s how easy it is to reintroduce it to community
@Newto2016: flute
@Newto2016: Tell that to the families of those who have died due to Covid 19
@Sarah Connor: Really? Are you an epidemiologist or are you just parroting what the media say?
This, although some flaws, but no policy is perfect, is a surprisingly good idea.
@Tony O’Regan: why? It only impacts people on benefits or pup and they are the least able to afford a holiday. I’m working from home for the foreseeable on full pay. People like me could easily go in holiday without punishment. Different laws for different income levels. The new government barely in a wet week and they are already dividing society
@Anne Marie Devlin: especially because many people who are unemployed are in that situation because they can’t work due to restrictions. This is truly going in a very alarming way in Ireland both from the government and also from the people actually attacking everybody and suggesting people should be locked by the state in hotels for 15 days or burying their heads in the sand thinking a staycation will avoid mass job losses while asking travel be banned, curtain twitching on other people, asking for pubs & restaurants to be closed. Horrible atmosphere. Just horrible . And to think they have special powers until November is even worse.
Countries that have been hit worse than us are more or less fully open for business and have no travel restrictions.. We’re lagging far behind and the tourism sector including Airlines and the travel sector could lose thousands of jobs because of this ridiculous carry on..
@David Garland: What countries are those?
@Jimbo Jones: Italy and Spain for starters
@David Garland: you are aware of the ig spike in Barcelona? and Italy is not out of the woods yet.
@David Garland: the world is not even close to being far enough out the other side of this too look back and decide who did what right. Just cause some country is doing something you would want doesnt make it correct. Like the other poster said. They are seeing spikes.
This country is almost fully open (to it’s own inhabitants) again and I’m happy with that for now. Let’s not go backwards.
@Brendan Greene: You’re going to get spikes and clusters till a vaccine is found.. Honestly speaking this thing was around a lot longer than February or March and it was only seen to be as bad when they started testing for it.. You would like to think spikes and clusters will be better contained so the World can get back to normal.
@David Garland: If your country is already infested then there’s no need to have travel restrictions since those coming in from outside are coming from areas of lower spread. Countries with lower spread typically have stricter restrictions for obvious reasons.
The travel and airline industry will lose thousands of jobs because we’re in a pandemic and the service they offer is no longer safe and viable, it’s unavoidable and risking lives in a futile attempt to delay the inevitable isn’t going to help anyone.
@David Garland: Spain now doing a regional lockdown on 200’000 people in Catalonia due to surge in cases is that what you want to happen here
@David Garland: Who regions are closed again in Spain Italy and Portugal over surges not spikes . There is no point trying to diminish the seriousness of those outbreaks. We live with the constant danger of overwhelming our already creaking health service. We can’t risk any second waves . Especially as we are still trying to balance our own reopening. It would be disastrous if all those businesses that just reopened Here ended up shut again .
@Ellen Day: Portugal has no regions in lockdown . That’s not correct . Portugal has some councils in the Lisbon periphery on extra restrictions . This is what will happen to all countries until a vaccination is found cases will increase especially when you test widely and carry on with your life without being locked at home .
@David Garland: ill informed comments such as these are dangerous…say them often enough and they gain traction. Do yourself a favour and read the Journal.ie post after this which states “Catalonia imposes regional lockdown on 200,000 people following surge in Covid-19 cases” before preaching your theories on economics!
@Premier Fitters: and maybe you should read Spanish media to observe that it’s to do with workers from food processing & their contacts that have been working all this time and this has nothing to do with either travelling or the reopening of the economy. If you did some proper screening of essential workers and all their contacts & neighbourhoods you’ll find these cases in Ireland as well .
@Premier Fitters: Read my comment correctly, I said spikes and clusters will happen. We can’t afford to keep the Country on lockdown or ground aircraft over clusters
@Isabel Oliveira: unfortunately Isabel most of these are not interested in the story in it’s entirety, they prefer words like Surges, 2nd waves, non essential travel and of course Staycation .
@Isabel Oliveira: I’m sure you will be defensive but there are issues with surges in both those countries . You cannot day that it’s safe because there is no way to assess that . Restrictions or lockdowns it doesn’t matter because it means there’s has been an increase in virus numbers and that’s the bottom line . So lockdown restrictions either one is just bad and honestly we are still trying to get out balancing act right . We really don’t need to import more people with the virus.
@David Garland: any significant iptivk would founder our track and trace be infrastructure.
This is outrageous. People on welfare have always been allowed to take a 2 week holiday. Ridiculous carry-on. Its going from nanny state to police state
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: You still can, just within Ireland. There’s a global pandemic out there, in case you haven’t heard.
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: But now there’s advice against non-essential travel.
If you read the article you would have seen that if people need to travel for essential reasons they will still receive payment.
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: they are still allowed , nobody is stopping them but nobody should pay for them to do it.
@Jayne: there’s mass unemployment out there in case you haven’t noticed Sarah .
@Terry McSweeney: if people can be told to work from home. They can also look for work from home. Its the same government giving this advise. If they wanted stop people flying they should shut down commercial flights or make quarantine mandatory. But they prefer to target the unemployed.
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: you actually can’t go for 2 weeks as they count Saturday as a working day even though they don’t work Saturdays and if you go for 2 weeks you will be deducted 1 day
@Sophie: advice is exactly that. Advice. You cant push it down people’s throats because it suits you. Otherwise legislate for it.
@Jayne: since when is it ok for the government to decide where you go on holiday?
@Sophie: advice is advice. Its up to people to decide. Otherwise you pass laws. I think you should hold your government accountable
@Isabel Oliveira: All the more reason to holiday in Ireland and support local businesses to help them stay afloat.
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: Since holidays became an actual risk to public health.
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: what do people on welfare need a break from?? they do F, all.
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: It is also illegal under EU law.
@Jayne: how exactly is travelling abroad a public health risk but going to a crowded pub with less than 2 mts distance is not? Or being in a bus with 50%+ passenger and no enforcement of masks
Holding people to ransom shocking
@Jonny: well if you’re receiving job seekers and pup schemes it’s already ransom
And little by little the curtailing of every right is taking place and people are begging for it . Unreal !
@Isabel Oliveira: get off your pedestal ..case you haven’t noticed ..people are dying out there
@Philomena Keegan: deaths are being overstated out there too…
All that’s going to happen is people won’t tell the Intreo office. No attempt is being made to ensure people can get refunds if they cancel and not many people are willing to write off a thousand euros or more. We need to have a green list immediately.
@Adam Conroy: They said they will be sourcing the information from the Covid tracing form that is required to be filled out when entering Ireland. They must have a serious amount of staff available.
@Philip Kedney: I don’t think they can. The passenger locator form specifically states that the data collected will be used by Dept Justice, Immigration and HSE for contact tracing purposes. Not by DEASP for welfare purposes. Thus if the data was to be passed to DEASP to check up on PUP claimants it would be beyond the scope of the form and break GDPR. Data about people not claiming anything and other nationals would also be included so another data protection headache.
@Philip Kedney: Sure they will. They’re the most disorganised public organisation in the country. They’ll still be sorting through the covid forms in ten years.
@Josephus Miller: That’s what was said on a radio interview yesterday. The spokeswoman said it was the only way they could check it . When asked about people going on two weeks holiday in Ireland and not been available for work she said they had no way of tracing this information. When pressed on just going after foreign travel she agreed they where going for the fish in the barrel as they had an option for tracing.
@Philip Kedney: have a look at the form yourself https://www2.hse.ie/file-library/coronavirus/covid-19-passenger-locator-form.pdf
Doesn’t ask for PPS number or any other welfare info and clearly states what the purposes are which doesn’t include Social welfare purposes. Also let’s say for example Immigration put all that data into an excel or CSV file and pass on to DEASP. There’s no marker on the form to differentiate citizens from non citizens so they’d be passing data on that’s not needed by DEASP leaving them open to civil suit under data protection laws.
I’m not doubting what you heard on the radio I just think that spokesperson may have been kiteflying in the hope it would dissuade some because let’s face it those left on PUP are the long term affected ones who may still be a number or months away from return to work
@Josephus Miller: You are totally correct. Without PPSN how can you differentiate between 2 Patrick O’Reillys? Departments are not allowed to share information. For instance, undocumented migrants are allowed ro receive PUP payments (and thats a good thing) and they explicitly said they wont share claimants info. How will they do it for this? Plus. Civil servants are working from home. There is only so much personal data they can process outside the office without it constituting an offence. Its yet another low attempt from this government who fails to take a decision and now is going for the most vulnerables. Sickening.
@Josephus Miller: I stand to be corrected but if you leave the country and are not entitled to the payment you must notify DEASP. Failure to notify and accept the payment could then be looked at as fraud and so would fall under the Department of Justice if they wante to really go after somebody.
PUP payments were never intended for jobseekers in the first place they were set up for people out of work with a job to go back too. Job seeers were not payed PUP.
@Philip Kedney: They don’t. Nor is there any legal sanction for ignoring the quarantine.
@Philip Kedney: that form will be a requirement before you get boarding card on both ends of your flight. it’s going online.
You shouldn’t be travelling if you are on job seekers. You should be productively trying to get back into full time employment and Reserve in your funds.
@Pád: Does that apply to those whose livelihoods were snatched away from them by the (unelected, unofficial) government who grossly overreacted to an illness no more deadly than the annual flu?
What happened to self isolating for two weeks as a guide line? Are we being forced to self isolate? If it is only a guide line then you can still look for work when you return. Have we reached police state status yet???
@Brendan Woods: we’ve passed police state status I’m afraid .
@Isabel Oliveira:
You don’t understand what a police state is obviously.
@Doug: i grew up in a police state and i can tell you this bares ressemblance of how it all starts
@Doug: I do. I lived in one pre 1974. I can tell you that both the government is behaving in such a way and sadder, the people are behaving like the usual voluntary enthusiastic informants and supporters of a police state.
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: which one? Chile? genuinely interested.
This is worrying. Gov trying to have their cake and eat it. Removed travel restrictions to exonerate themselves from action from airline industry. At the same time try and do anything they can to stop ppl travelling. Disgraceful. Nobody long term unemployed should be able to fly off for 2 weeks in the sun. But those that have just lost job due to Covid or on pup should be free to make up their own minds whether or not to take a holiday which they would have paid for while working! Nanny state. What next?
Good Idea, only problem though is it is discriminating against those not currently working. A similar fine should be charged to those working, not sure how it could be implemented, if all passports are now scanned, could revenue dock wages on their return. No one should be travelling abroad, working or not working (unless it’s an urgent trip as mentioned in article).
@Sarah Connor: most employers are requiring staff to take unpaid leave or annual leave for the 2 weeks
@Darragh Fallon: Hmm, not sure I agree with that, annual leave is not unpaid, and if you are willing to risk the health of the country the fine should go back to the country, not an employer.
@Sarah Connor: are you actually advocating that the government cuts people’s wages for going abroad ? I sincerely hope you’re a fake account from a PR call centre because if you’re a real person god help us all !
@Sarah Connor:
You don’t understand what the article said, read again. The state isn’t fining people for leaving the country.
@Isabel Oliveira: Not a fake account I’m afraid, just a concerned citizen who’s been to enough family funerals this year.
@Doug: Not sure what you mean there Doug, I get they are saying people on welfare payments will be docked money, I consider that the same as a fine against people earning.
@Isabel Oliveira: And yes I am saying people should have their wages docked for putting us all at risk.
@Sarah Connor: you might consider it the same, but cutting a social welfare payment is not the same as a fine. Not at all. And no one is going to be fined for going abroad.
@EvieXVI: Fair enough, don’t fine them, dock their wages (implement a high travel tax)
@Sarah Connor: A tax that is only applied when travelling despite advise not to for the benefit of public health
@Sarah Connor: again, if you do this, you do it for all. You’re suggestion that withholding benefit is equivalent to a fine is simply incorrect.
If the government wants to ban nonessential travel, they should. But they don’t.
@EvieXVI: I’m saying anyone travelling internationally, unnessisarilly, should be penalised financially, and that penalty should be taken from the person’s income (regardless of where it comes from) and given directly back to the government (ie tax payer)
@Sarah Connor: I disagree. Fair enough, don’t pay unemployment benefits to those not seeking work.
But why should – or would – the government fine people for doing something that’s completely legal?
@EvieXVI: Because it’s putting people’s lives at risk. If you are saying they should make it illegal to travel without a valid reason at the moment, then I agree.
So you now dont have the right to travel in Europe and seek work, so much for EU membership and the maastricht treaty
@Brian Purcell: There’s a public health crisis, the EU (including us) are trying to stop it spreading.
@Brian Purcell: You have a right to travel anywhere in the EU to seek work or to take a vacation. The government’s advisory against foreign travel has no legal standing. It is merely a recommendation.
I’m confused. Those receiving jobseekers currently have 90days to collect from post office and pup payments go directly into bank accounts. How will they know if these people travel? I’m not against it btw, I feel its fair as those working would also have to take unpaid leave of travel in current situation against non essential travel advise. I’m just curious how they will actually know if some people on these payments decide to travel? They can collect their jobseekers upon return and those on pup payment would still receive payment into their account weekly. Personally I have no gra to fly anywhere this year (possibly next year too) But unless they tell the department how are they going to find out???
@Sam Glynn: They can use the contact tracing forms used in every airport? Although I take your point, it would need a decent project manager.
@Sarah Connor: oh I must of missed that in article. That explains it somewhat I suppose, but yes a good project manager would be needed if numbers arriving into our airports are large.
@Sam Glynn: not people who are working from home
@Sam Glynn: There is no way the DSP can know if you are out of the country for your legally entitled two-week vacation. There is also no sanction for ignoring the request to quarantine when you return. Moreover, any social welfare discrimination between those who holiday elsewhere in the EU and those who holiday at home is clearly illegal under basic EU law.
@John Doyle: I was only referring to those out of work.
@Peter O’Muiri: good point Peter
Shoud not be paid in future at all, how people live on government support can afford a holiday?
Start with the unemployed next thing they will be controlling everyone else
This isnt mentioned anywhere on gov.ie, on citizens info or in the latest DEASP press release available.
They cannot use the passenger locator form in its current guise as this specifically states the info is only to contact you to verify self isolation or to assist with contract tracing and accessed by HSE, Immigration and Dept Justice for these purposes only. Passing info to DEASP would leave them open to suit for data protection breach and using data for beyond the scope it was collected for.
Self employed people do not have the seeking work caveat for PUP. Trading income must have ceased so if it was going to be ceased anyway for the the duration of the holiday and isolation period and can be proven they could not stop payment.
I wonder if the State will cut off the PUP/welfare payments for those who attend a protest where social distance is not being followed .. Or spend a longtime in a busy Penneys line… or if they go to crowded funerals in Northern Ireland… after all they are not able to look for jobs for the following 14 days either
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: I don’t think so. it’s just we have the lowest number of ICU beds in EU. if schools are to fully return as we also have largest class sizes. we have to crush the curve if we want kids in school in September and sme sector to fully reopen. including domestic tourism with govt supports. it’s a simple choice school and domestic economy or foreign holiday for 2020.
The pure level of paperwork for civil servants and union and social unrest would preclude totalitarianism in Eire.
What if you were from Poland or Germany for example and you hadn’t seen your family since Christmas is it fair to take 1400 euro off them for a 2 week family reunion and 2 weeks quarantine on return.I think it’s a nasty measure.
Seeking work? It’s because of these clowns most of those people are out of work. Hopefully these who are affected keep their money ignore their staycate nonsense and have a holiday abroad when returned to work. Penalties for losing a job that they’d no control over.
@Anthony Whelan: Well said. The loss of employment and economic collapse can be blamed on one thing and one thing only. A government that, at the time it made these ludicrous decisions, had no legitimacy whatsoever.
As Mr Burns might say….. “Excellent”…….
It’s all nonsense. You are legally obliged to fill out the form but not legally obliged to self isolate. Self isolation is a recommendation only. An Irish solution if ever there was one. Meanwhile you can be in and out of the uk as often as you want because the “United Irelaand” card trumps all others. We are the only country in the EU pretending to enforce isolation on people entering the country. We are the laughing stock of Europe. The virus cannot be eradicated without a vaccine so we are going to have to live with it. Our ultra conservative approach is going to devastate or economy and ultimately cost more lives than virus ever did.
@Syl Farrell: Don’t be dropping truth bombs. Some people can’t see beyond the BS they are fed by their TV sets.
Excellent
Brilliant idea we’ll done lads
How will dept.of welfare know you are on holiday ?. You don’t have to sign on anywhere
People seem to think it is a right to go for a week or 2 on a sun holiday. I would be interested to see the ages of the people who think this. I actually consider it as a privilege. I grew up in the 80s and it was pretty much unheard of. The furthest my dad ever travelled was London with my mam to visit my sister when she training as a nurse. When we growing up, when dad got holidays it was we did day trips around the country. My mam was retired before she even got a sun holiday and thats because we took her as a retirement present. The last time I went on a sun holiday was was 3 years ago and as I grew up without them, it doesn’t bother me if I didn’t see one for another few years. My friends, all of us the one age, and from the one area, think the same.
@Joe_X: maybe it was how we were brought up or what, or maybe it is our whole generation or a town vs country thing, I don’t know. But it seems to be a phenomenon that started only 20 years ago with the advent of low cost carriers like Ryanair and Easyjet.
@Joe_X: 200 punts for a London return flight as I recall.
@Eileen O’Sullivan: was around that I think..
@Eileen O’Sullivan: but what I’m getting at is the sun holiday really that important to people. As I said I grew up without, but I have seen a lot of our own country. Some people seeam to know a beach in spain better than Ireland outside their own constituency.
@Joe_X: very very true. and so many of those holidays are basically the old Ballymun towerblock on a crowded beach with a load of pissed English lads shouting their heads off and being very pass remarkable.
If you do and come well then also pay for your medical bill as the country is under enough pressure
@Paul Dunne: we have 13 bn on the side from Apple
So the Irish government will starve those who travel while allowing those who want to travel here do as the will. Demented
How will they know if you have travelled though?
Good
Unrestricted travel to N. Irl. Belfast to Malaga?
Ryanair provides the carrot that being cheap fares. Department of Employment hits you with the stick.
Kinda feels like picking on the less fortunate.
@John Doyle: it would be totally acceptable to withhold payments if the put a ban on non essential travel.
People are paid into their bank account so they’d never know you were out of the country unless you were actually mad enough to tell them
Well I against all travel restrictions but leaving that aside one issue they will run into is if they change the list every two weeks with no notice. If you book a week in France for September and the day before you fly it’s removed from the green list. That could cause problems
@european liberal: I think they are leaving it uncertain on purpose, that alone will dissuade some from travelling.
What about the normal dole
@DeWitt: same rules apply.
@Julie Lynch: But if you are on long term unemployment benefit or medical payments nothing happens. The vast majority of people on PUP are tax paying citizens who are on temporary layoff from their jobs and are waiting to start back with their long term jobs .
@Philip Kedney: jobseekers allowance and jobseekers benefit will be the same.
@Julie Lynch: very good, thanks
Ok, so they’re telling people not to go abroad. Then ensure that people are refunded for flights which were booked before the pandemic.
Well those in receipt can’t afford a holiday anyway!
@Luap Dier: wouldn’t be so sure about that. Plenty working in the cash economy to top up income
And just how do they plan to ‘police’ this? They can’t follow-up on those supposed to be in quarantine after travel.
https://bearatourism.com beara my favourite place!
@Eileen O’Sullivan: great. Stay there.
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: if only
How the hell is the DSP supposed to know if someone leaves the country if their payments are going to bank accounts
@Vid Co: passport control.
@Eileen O’Sullivan: As if passport control could be arsed informing the DSP. What a laugh.
@Peter O’Muiri: as I understand it to receive a boarding card you will have to filling the information online.
I fully agree with that ruling
@Bob Tallent: And I don’t. So what?
@Tom Sullivan: you’re entitled to your opinion. But can you back it up.
As a taxpayer, I dont want to pay for people going on holidays and claiming welfare and supposedly being available for work. Its fraud.
you are all missing the point which is that lockdowns can be imposed at any time by goverrnments abroad when cases spike. Stranded holiday makers were a major headache during the previous wave. Our embassies had to sort them out.
there is quite a percentage of folk on pup do statistically nearly every family or extended family will have a recipient who will lose payment re holiday and quarantine. This means that most won’t go as they won’t leave the affected one at home.
By law disabled people’s welfare is discontinued if they travel abroad except for treatment. In practice they are allowed go if they present outward and return boarding cards to welfare. However this often would result in triggering a full fraud investigation on their return.
@Eileen O’Sullivan: There is absolutely no possibility that the DSP will know your are holidaying abroad unless you are silly enough to tell them. Neither is there any legislation providing sanctions for ignoring the request to quarantine on your return. The entire thing is a cod.
@Peter O’Muiri: I think the boarding card will not be issued until you fill in the online form . as I recall that’s the plan.
@Eileen O’Sullivan: no. You have to fill a locator form on return. There is no control on way out They cant know how long you were away for, they just know you are returning or arriving at a certain
This pandemic payment has been abused. Ive heard of people who are working in the US and Australia claiming it !
have your say