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THE UK’S NHS is facing a “hugely disrupted day” after tens of thousands of workers began the biggest walk out in the service’s history.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said strikes will continue for “as long as it takes”, while Unite warned of a “constant cycle” of industrial action.
Union leaders implored the UK Government to act to prevent further strike action but ministers have insisted they cannot afford “inflation-busting pay rises”.
The NHS is expecting upheaval across England as nurses from the RCN stage walk-outs alongside GMB and Unite paramedics, call handlers and other staff at ambulance trusts.
It is the first time ambulance workers and nurses have walked out on the same day.
Nurses will strike again tomorrow, ambulance workers again on Friday and physiotherapists on Thursday.
NHS leaders described the “most disruptive week of strikes to date” – but urged people to seek urgent and emergency care if they need it and attend appointments as planned unless they have been contacted in advance.
Unions in Wales largely suspended similar action after the Welsh government came forward with an improved pay offer on Friday.
Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, told Sky News:
“I think it’s going to be a hugely disrupted day across the NHS. It’s going to be incredibly challenging.
“With both nurses and ambulance staff out on strike today, and nurses again tomorrow – and we’ve got physiotherapist later in the week and some ambulance staff again on Friday – we’re planning for an incredibly disrupted week.”
She said hospital leaders will need to “step away” from day-to-day tasks, including clearing the backlog of care and implementing the UK Government’s new Urgent and Emergency Care plan.
“They will be focusing simply on getting through the next couple of days and that will have a knock-on effect on patients,” she said.
“This isn’t just about the here and now, it’s about the knock-on effect. What does it mean when someone has a procedure, a test, an operation, delayed for a number of days, a number of weeks? That will have an impact on them.”
While urgent and emergency care remains open, Cordery said there could be an impact on cancer services in some parts of the country.
She urged the UK Government to negotiate with unions on 2022/23 pay.
“Well, I hope it ends by the Government coming around the table to negotiate a settlement for this year’s pay for NHS staff.
“I think that we need to recognise that NHS staff have faced soaring costs, cost of living has gone up, inflation has gone up, and the settlement from this year’s pay review body was made at a time when inflation wasn’t at the levels it’s at at the moment.
“So I think it’s really important that we focus on getting a deal for this year, as well as then thinking about what next year’s pay deal looks like.”
RCN general secretary Pat Cullen told the PA news agency: “Everyone can see the resilience of our nursing staff, these brilliant people that are standing on the picket lines today, losing another day’s pay. They are saying patients have had enough, they have had enough.
“They’re not willing to continue to see their NHS managing every day within a crisis.
“They’re trying to bring their NHS back from the brink and they will continue to do this for as long as this Government takes to listen to them.”
Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, said the UK Government should open negotiations on pay or face a “constant cycle” of walkouts.
She told PA: “This Government has not at any time in this dispute come to the table about the substantive issue on pay, and that is the real issue.
“There isn’t going to be any other way to end this dispute until they come to the table and talk about pay.
“What we need is the talks to happen with (Prime Minister) Rishi Sunak and/or (Health Secretary) Stephen Barclay on pay, we can get an offer and then we can put that off to the members.
“That’s what needs to happen. Until that happens, we are in this constant cycle of having strike action, which obviously nobody wants.
“Our members do not want to be on strike. They want to be at work serving the country.”
On 2022/23 pay, Graham added: “They can’t just always sing ‘la la la la la’ and hope that the year goes by and we will forget what’s happened. This year’s pay needs to be addressed.”
‘Billions of pounds’
UK Mental health minister Maria Caulfield suggested it would cost “billions of pounds” to reopen this year’s pay settlement for nurses in England because the Government would have to do the same for other public sector workers.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the “door is firmly open” to further talks with health unions regarding next year’s pay process.
Asked if there is a “possibility” negotiations could include looking at 2022/23 pay, she said: “The Secretary of State and the Prime Minister have been clear that that would be extremely difficult to do because it wouldn’t just be for nurses; you would have teachers saying, ‘Could we open this year’s pay settlement?’. You’ve got ambulance drivers, rail workers…
“There is a range of public sector workers who would also want the same request. Across the board, you’re talking about billions of pounds to pay for that and we want to put that into frontline services, as we are doing now.”
Caulfield, who is also the minister for women, told Times Radio Barclay met with health unions “virtually on a weekly basis during January” to “talk about pay”.
She added: “We are very happy to talk about the forthcoming year’s pay award, which is exactly what they’ve done in Scotland and the RCN have called off the strikes as a result.”
Speaking to GB News, she added: “It is difficult for us now. If we are to give a pay (rise) to nurses, we would have to look at teachers, ambulance drivers.
“We just can’t afford inflation-busting pay rises that the unions are currently demanding.”
She said patients could be put at risk “the longer that strikes go on”.
Caulfield told Sky News:
“There is a risk to patients the longer that strikes go on.
“So if your operation is cancelled the first time, there is probably a minimum risk. If that’s cancelled time and time again because of ongoing strikes, then patients become more poorly and there is always a risk.
“And with ambulance strikes, if someone’s having a heart attack or a stroke, that does increase someone’s risk the longer that response time is.”
Labour’s leader accused ministers of “sitting this one out” when it came to negotiating with striking nurses and ambulance workers in England over pay.
Keir Starmer, speaking to broadcasters at Airbus in Filton, near Bristol, said: “The widespread strikes today are a badge of shame for the Government.
“Nobody wants to see these strikes, nobody wants to be on strike – the last thing nurses want to do is to be on strike.
“What they do want is a Government that can show leadership, get around the negotiating table and settle this dispute.
“Before Christmas, the nurses made clear that if the Government was to get in the room and talk to them about pay, they wouldn’t be on strike.
“I think many people listening to this will be absolutely flabbergasted that the Government is still sitting this one out, not showing any leadership in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, making the situation much worse than it otherwise would be.”
Welsh Health Minister Eluned Morgan encouraged the UK Government to sit down to “talk and listen” with unions after strikes in Wales were largely suspended thanks to a new pay offer.
“I do think that there’s a lesson here for the UK Government – UK Government needs to understand that in order to get any kind of deal you need to sit down, you need to talk and you need to listen,” she told PA.
“They’re not doing any of that, and I would encourage them to do that.”
Meanwhile, Dr Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, told PA: “While strikes may disrupt emergency care and pose a risk for patient safety, we know that patient safety has long been at risk as a result of years of under-resourcing, under-funding, lack of staff, lack of beds and inadequate and insufficient community and social care.
“This is why it is absolutely critical that every effort is made to retain existing staff in the health service, working on the frontline and delivering for patients.
“As colleagues take industrial action, patients should be reassured staff in hospitals will continue to deliver care and ensure the protection and safety of patients.”
The RCN, which is staging two days of action, said nurses are set to strike at 73 trusts in England, up from 55 during January’s strike days and 44 in December.
Ambulance crews and call handlers will return to work tomorrow but are due to walk out again on Friday.
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How about giving the workers €27 per week also? What about the good old “make work pay” mantra?
Exactly Darren that’s what they should be doing giving the €27 to those who work, daft idea to give to those on the dole , only encourages more free hand outs , what they should be doing is making them work for there dole doing anything really…..
In fairness this is aimed at easing the immediate burden on those losing their jobs and wold not really affect the ‘welfare class’ as they don’t work in the first place.
Simon Harris is sniffing for Endas job ,folks make sure it doesn’t happen.
People losing their jobs generally apply for Jobseekers Benefit, so why the extra dole money……
@ Aine… Yeah yeah yeah. @ Fozz. Thats exactly it
Haha. They are all over the shop. Make work pay but give the other side extra money.
Yes Aine, because if you can’t find a job you should be forced into slavery in order to exist. I know lots of people who given access to any job will take it. They just don’t exist. It’s called job bridge, it’s an excuse to pay people less than €6 an hour.
All another ploy to buy the unemployed votes, what sense does it even make to give it and then take it away complete joke
I don’t believe a word of it anyway, fg nothing more than snakes trying every angle possible to win votes
I would hope you would all at least have the compassion to realise that cutting the dole to those aged under 26 to a maximum of 100 (and even that is means tested on your parents’ income so you may get nothing) has been a cruel and horrible thing to do. What makes you less entitled to the dole at age 24 or 25 if you lose your job or can’t get a job. If you are expected to pay full PRSI and tax, why are you then on half the dole just because you are under 26. And who picks up the tab? Parents. For the 80, 100, 180 or whatever a week that the young adult loses, that is money their parents are forced to pay – so that cut costs parents perhaps 400 a month. For the young adult trying to get CVs out there, go on public transport to attend interviews, it is a soul-destroying act of age discrimination. Many young people who cannot get a job are in deep despair without the added stress and depression of having no income whatsoever, or practically no income, and being treated like second class adults.
@Little Diddy No:
This is a case of ageism at the very core. It was great to see someone challenge this system and win. Social services bottled it when a you man who was been given 100euro weekly decided enough was enough, decided to inform them he was taking legal action in relation to this ageism agenda they where pushing out, never even seen the inside of a court as they caved and gave him his full dole. That in itself speaks volumes..
@Aine Morris Doolan:
I am personally doing a level 4 QQI BTI in horticulture with the hopes of going forward to level 5,part of that process is hands on work experience, and I kid you not, I break my ass for 188euro while those employed earning between 14-18euro per hour, not inclusive of their rain money sit idly and watch me doing their job. When I was doing career companion for the same money, I was at times mentally drained simply to facilitate cheap labour rather then offer me full time work with a wage packet to match. Now I have to deal and juggle with this new government scheme know as Seetec, whom politely informed me that government are planning to phase out such courses over time. I believe this is on the basis that they are not government funded and want people in full time employment regardless of the cost. Trust me, my stress levels are higher than yours at present. Now what strikes me is this, some people have a problem in relation to newly unemployed receiving 27euro extra for a limited time, but possibly had zero worries when Mr Edna Kenny was packing a 3,500euro per week pay check, while helping to send the Country further into decay. Chances are if you should find yourself in said position, I don’t wish it on anybody, you would be kicking and screaming for your said extra benefit, while someone holding a job would have no issues telling you off Mam. It would seem the privilege of having a job today has added an extra air of snootiness among the working class, and think less off than those without.
Where are fg and labour getting 200.000 jobs?….. No one knows what next week will bring but they can say 200.000 jobs. Where ?……are they coming from.
Pluto
Every since they lost their designation as a planet, things have gone from bad to worse for the auld Plutonians.
Does it say something about 200,000 jobs in this article?
I can’t find it.
No denito it doesn’t but since both fg and labour repeat the line about 200.000 jobs as only last night we heard it. This is an article about the dole and people getting jobs. Then surely it’s connected….
Bit touchy denito on the 200.000 jobs . ….. Hit a nerve you don’t like
From some new quango? Irish Air anybody?
200,000 people will be taken off the dole and made to work for private companies as work and skills training….as these will not be available for work while doing this their names will be removed from the live register. Meanwhile, companies will not longer feel the need to properly employ people in the traditional manner as full time positions will now be filled by ‘taxpayer sponsored slaves’…who knows…maybe some of the present taxpayers will lose their jobs to make room for ‘taxpayer sponsored slaves” that cost the companies nothing to employ.
Fine Gael promises X, delivers Y.
Wouldn’t listen to a word they have to say. They rarely deliver on anything they promise, and that’s being generous. Just trying to buy the election with money they don’t have.
Promises promises from FG mean nothing. The past 5 years has been all about broken promises. A vote for FG is a vote for lies broken promises and Irish water.
So, another bribe then.
Hopefully all 18 to 24 year olds will be out in force next week to show this up for what it is.
Nope, because many people believe that the doles too big hand well frankly oppose the role being increased
Have you not understood Brian Magee that the Government cynically crushed adults aged under 26 – just because they could – by reducing their dole to a maximum of 100, and even this to be means tested against their parents’ income. The despair of a young person who either cannot get a job, or has lost their job (after paying fully adult amounts of tax and PRSI) may be hard for some of you to imagine, but I have witnessed it. They have no money to live or to pay for printing CVs to leave into places, transport to interviews etc. It is the parents who have had to pick up the tab to the tune of maybe 400 extra a month. There is no choice if a young person in their 20s is not to be treated as a full adult when it comes to their rights and entitlements, but they will be charged as a full adult when it comes to everything they have to pay out. A slap in the face for them from a heartless government.
This changes everything. Lets vote for FG/Lab so. I was so wrong about them all this time.
How is it fair to incentivise employers to hire somebody out of work for 2 years +, over somebody out of work for 3 months? If I was the better man for the job, but the employer went with somebody who was unemployed for 2 years to get the extra payment, I would be rightly p!ssed.
We’ll increase your dole by €27 but take it back in water charges, increased bin charges and minimum prices on alcohol.. With FG and Labour in Government we’ll all have less in our pockets unless you’re a banker or property developer..
Like SF better and sweet taxes!
We’ll put money in your left pocket and at the same time, take that same money out of your right pocket….all a load of bollcoks
Heaven forbid people pay for bins, water and booze…
Is it election time? scraping the barrel now FG
Never realised that booze was covered as part of the portion of VAT and road tax increase that was to cover the abolished rates we used to pay for water and bins, or that booze was covered by LPT as a local amenity. How did i miss that, my local council has been neglection my booze quota long before that started charging me twice for bins and water!!!
Well alcohol may not be paid for in taxes but we certainly pay very high taxes on it, now including minimum pricing also means an interference in the market. And aren’t we constantly being told that interference in the market is a bad thing? Or is that only applied when it comes to the banking market? I say banking specifically because the new regulations imposed on the credit unions are interference in the same market I would have thought that the banks operated in, the financial market. That is actually something I would like answered by Noonan, how come he could impose those regulations on credit unions and the financial activities of an post but when asked to regulate the banks he says he can’t interfere in the market?
Sure isn’t that what you do at election time.
According to labours Pat Rabbit
When the FG guy comes to my door this week, I’m just gonna ask him for a straight 50.
I’ll ‘promise’ him my vote and then I’ll vote for someone else… It’ll be delicious.
And you’d probably get it too if you promised him a vote.
Louis don’t think you’d get a straight anything from them!…. ’50 is it?’ ‘let me see here that’s 50 – 23% tax, 4% USC, PRSI, add in my canvassing charge and taking into consideration the liquidity of the fiscal space in the current economical ecumenical climate that those Fianna Fail lads left us in, due to a lack of capital available and not forgetting banking and handling charges… oh and the interest rates…. you owe me €23.87.’
Pathetic way to get votes.
Graduated welfare payments aren’t a bad idea, in France you receive 80% of your previous salary for a set period before it drops to 60%. Of course this all depends on the contributions you’ve made to the system in the first place. FG’s latest “promise” looks to be a cack handed version of a good idea, no surprises there.
FG are also promising to change PRSI contributions so that you actually have to pay PRSI before you are entitled to benefits, unlike the present, farcical, situation where someone on €300 pw pays on PRSI but is entitled to full rate Jobseeker’s Benefit if they lose their job.
*pays no PRSI
David, that used to be the case here (or vaguely similar) and was the stated purpose of PRSI. Now you pay increasing PRSI and receive zilch. Great, isn’t it?
PMSL!
“Dear peasants, lend us your vote and we pledge to do the exact opposite of everything we do every time we’re in government……….honest”
Fool you twice, everyone?
Are you 12 stalker boy? PMSL, what does it even mean??
I like that, ” stalker boy “, Sure isn’t FC in the ideal HQ, for surveillance and interrogation, oh sorry Freudian slip, I meant to say intelligence but then that would be an oxymoran, You must have a cushy department job FC, with all the time you have for commenting, certainly not frontline anyway.
Smells like Bullsh*t
wouldn’t it make sense to make minimum wage higher than dole? it will encourage people to work harder
Must be panic stations in fg hq that they have to come out with more bs promises
Only a few weeks ago, simon harris was pledging mulit million euro compensation for flood victims, and we find out the other day that the average payout is just a little more than 1 thousand euros each. So FG are full of pledges that come to nothing!
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/michael-noonan-didnt-want-to-know-about-sex-abuse-claims-382178.html this is the true face of FG. They don’t give two poo poos about the Irish people. They covered up abuse and they are now trying to scare people into voting for them.
PQ
SF never covered it up!!!!!!!!
@Paul, I never said SF didn’t cover up abuse! You seem to be implying that I’m a Sinn Féin supporter, when I’m actually not. I support the Soc Dems.
The article is about FG – play the ball Paul! You point seems to also imply that because Sinn Féin covered up abuse, it’s okay for FG to do the same.
Pure panicsville. It’s hitting home that Fine Gael have NEVER, EVER been re-elected by the Irish people. NEVER, not even once in their entire ninety year history have we allowed them dupe us twice running. They have only ever won an election by default,(usually when FF mucks up ) but never a back to back..
They still find it hard to accept that we are NOT Tories. And will never be !
Comparing FG who preside over one of the the most generous social welfare systems in Europe to the Tories is wrong In NI for instance the dole is £75 per week and pensions not much more
Peter you are lucky that neither FG or Labour (who actually have control of the Department in question) are Tories either or people on welfare would have been decimated over the last 8 years. Look at the comparable welfare rates and benefits in the UK and look at the comparable Tory policies. There is no comparison and no Irish political party is advocating that we should proceed down the same path as the Tories. Your hyperbole is simply silly. You sound like an hysterical ol’ fellow.
And of course the Irish people continued to re-elect FF through out our history, back to back and even back to back and back again and look what that did to our country Peter, sure are we not a great auld nation after all, if you researched your history a bit better, it was nearly always FG picking this country up from the dregs after the previous FF administration put us there, that’s the Irish electorate for you, ps, where were the party you support now during these times in the past that could have provided an alternative, oh yes sure weren’t members of SF in jail or involved in subversive shenanigans during that time of our history, wow what an alternative.
Did we win the lotto and I just haven’t heard yet?
Liars
You honestly couldn’t make it up.Stephen Donnelly told them to their faces last night that it was auction politics,and what do we have the following afternoon?You can have another few sweeties if you vote for us!
What a joke.
It seems that if you have €100 in the pocket and the government promises usc cuts/wage increases and so on…and then with all the other charges and bills plus IW i would say id still only have €100 in my pocket..its all a big game..give in one hand and take with the other
Fine Gael pledge to tackle social welfare fraud..reinforcing the notion that anyone on the dole is a sponger,a fraudster,a leech..sure the vast majority who became unemployed since the crash will love that..there is a miniscule amount of lifers playing the system..but it doesn’t apply to the vast majority..
Whippidi dooo
Kenny & Burton are take tight,if they ate coal, they would shite diamonds.
FG can Fcuk off
Why not take that 5-6million a week and put it into health?
Oh thats right, because it doesn’t exist and is never going in to either social welfare OR health
Actually no, it’ll come from savings accrued since Leo forced the pharma companies to stop fleecing Ireland on the price of medication….. BY LAW no less…… oh no wait, that’s right, because despite much talk at the time, he never actually bothered his arse to do anything about that and we’re still being fleeced by these companies to the tune of millions, thats right.
More pie in the sky to bribe us someone pushed the panic button in fg hq
So it’s hard luck if you’re under 26? No wonder everyone of a certain age is leaving the country, there’s no incentive for young people to stay here and try and find a job.
You mean there is no incentive for those under 26 to be unemployed in this country, surely?
Now that’s one promise I won’t mind them not keeping!
Ah sure there’s not many people on the dole, according to Joan she has them all back working, €27 x a couple of thousands it’s only peanuts,
They must be in serious trouble at the doors
Instead of making reckless promises with tax payers hard earned cash they should reinstate the sneaky cuts they made to the illness benefit
Enda Kenny and the GOBSH!TE of FIRE
The Harry Potter Room is very appropriate for FG given the fantasies they peddle! Fantasy Gaels. The sky’s the limit if you apply the Harry Potter analogy to this bunch of amateur magicians! They’ve made a lot of people disappear from this country, and are well-practised escape artists.
With the amount of temporary workers we have in the country right now this proposal might get these shifty bast@rds a few extra votes.
ಠ_ಠ
The Bag of promises is very full.
That’s the first lie of the day fg
Lovely to see they’re still alienating under 25s
It makes sense to help with the initial impact of being hit with unemployment, and to gradually reduce that.
But we have one of the most generous welfare regimes in Europe. With unemployment falling, these figures should to fall too.
What you get out should in some way, shape or form, be linked to what you put in.
Having spent 20 years in full time employment I was unlucky enough to be made redundant a few years ago. The fact that I get the same (treatment, assistance, finance) as someone who sat on their arse for those 20 years is pretty galling (particularly when you factor in things like a mortgage vs rent assistance etc), whats worse is when your stamps are up you are actually treated worse (I’m silly enough to be in a couple where we both work).
Thankfully I was able to get another job, I’d say I was about 2 months away from serious trouble.
Seeing how the social welfare and the like of FAS, work and deal with people up close is actually depressing in itself.
But yeah €27 a week… whooohhhooooo.
Completely agree, the French have a similar welfare system where they gradually wein you off your salary…
“. The fact that I get the same (treatment, assistance, finance) as someone who sat on their arse for those 20 years is pretty galling”
It’s true. But just try reforming it and watch the uproar.
I wish I could get let go from my job for 3 months, collect that money then get taken back. Three months over the summer would be perfect.
“And I just hope that you can forgive us, but everything must go.”
If you raise it there is no incentive to get off it.
Know where you’re coming from monkey popper,same situation but apart from a few mths work,still haven’t found anything..(sth east)..when you look at the step down payments TDs who lose their seats are getting.(€14,000,000 ring-fenced to cover it and pensions)..would be forgiven for thinking they inhabit a different world..once your stamps run out..and they’ve been reduced to 9 months..its a whole new world of grief…
This governments policy is not to increase income tax, but what we will do is introduce a property tax and then we will introduce a water charge without inquiring of the ability to pay. OK so far, we will then increase prescription charges by 400% after that we will increase car tax and then abolish the phone and electric allowence and we will then increase the enviromental tax on coal and briquettes what we can try then is take the medical cards we might get away with it, and then we will scrap the death grant you see that looks better than increasing income tax or the tax 12.5% we charge inward investment companies. Basically we can screw the elderly and those less fortunate in society.
Income tax is far too high as it is. Property taxes and water taxes and standard taxes elsewhere in Europe and help to broaden the tax base.
I’m on jobseekers awaiting careers as I have 2 disabled children! This is an outrage if they are going to up the dole! They should up peoples wages to the same amount! But they are still not getting my vote!
This headline is misleading. “Fine Gael wants to increase the dole by €27″ is all some people will need to read. They’ll vote for the blueshirts expecting a raise and then moan about it when they’re still getting their €188 per week. An amendment of said headline would be useful Journal.
Remind me again what happened to that contract Kenny signed prior to last election ohhh yes remember this one “we are not closing Roscommon Hospital A& E.
They are soooooo feckin brazen
So they’ll be able to claim it after the General Election, probably. Hopefully.
And the bribes just keep on coming
Its all lies anyway. Seriously do people still believe their bull?
Yeah, but pay for it by continuing the downward trend. Or better still do like they do in Europe and percentage of salary before losing the job, and gradual reductions there after. God forbid those who pay in are the ones who get something back out though.
” God forbid those who pay in are the ones who get something back out though.”
Anathema to many that the contribution you make to the system should be reflected in what you get out of it. We live in a society that eviscerates anyone with the temerity to earn a half decent wage with 51% marginal taxes. In return? An education sector that isn’t delivering the goods, shabby infrastructure, no access to any of the rafts of benefits that you are paying for others (medical card, college grants etc.) and to top it off, continual griping from the Left about how you’re not paying your “fair share”.
People want to work. That’s just hush money
Another election bribe!
Straight out of the FF book on buying your vote!
No way! they should be trying to entice people back to work not give them an incentive to stay on the dole…
More absolute bulls#it from enda the talking donkey &Co.
They d sat anythung to get a vite pure shite
The auction room is getting busier !
40% of all government spending goes on social welfare and no we’re not just talking about the little old lady down the road’s pension – we’re talking about a monolithic runaway ATM that sees millionaires receiving state child benefit as well as those hardy annuals who’ve never worked a day in their life and know every clause and sub-clause of this €20 billion industry funded by the tax payer.
The FG/Lab government had a full five years to reform this monolith and they consciously chose not to. Instead, Joan the Moan was happy to use social welfare (like other politicians before her) as an ATM to try to buy electoral popularity. Bad news Joan, it didn’t work.
People on social welfare spend all their money and that goes back into the area and every time it changes hands it is taxed but the profits from big companies that make millions and billions use schemes like the DOUBLE IRISH or the DUTCH SANDWICH and they don’t have to pay tax and the money they make ends up in the U.S. or in the Caymens. 1 Business could get away from paying tax that could be equal to all those who are on the dole?
Many on the dole are not guilty, as the bankers were looked after, if Ireland was not in the Euro then there would not be the amount of the unemployed as there is and paying tax all you life and then getting unemployed, then that person has a right to the dole. If Ireland had its own currency then when the bubble busted all we had to do was to devalue the Punt and that would cause growth due to cheap exports but because we are in the Eurozone our hands and feet are tied by ex bankers working in the Eurogroup and in the ECB. THE RATE OF UNEMPLOYMENT IS RELATED TO THE EURO, we are just along for the ride?
The reason for welfare dependency Jr that 75% of the new jobs are in Dublin/Cork, and what jobs are there are not from local recruitment but rather flown in from abroad. On RTE Campaign Daily the other day, it said that in Ringsend, only 3% of the staff in Google are recruited locally.
Do fe.k all for the workers only tax them more to pay for the the lads living the high life off scratcher money.
It should continue to be reduced to subsistence levels or even nothing after 12-18 months.
Even if they genuinely cannot find work?
Ha ha. Announcement made in ‘Harry Potter Room’. Was he waving the Elder Wand around when this was said this?
i was unemployed coming up to Christmas there..i was told by the lady in the post office i didn’t deserve extra money at Christmas like long term unemployed..this is an excellent excuse aparently
You will find that the ECB will not allow them to do that as they told these ones here that because of the last ELECTION Budget they did that there needs to be drastic cuts all over the boards.
Remember the government before the election stated that they were going to make it harder for people to be on the dole and make it easier to be working instead?
What short memories people have?
http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/jobbridge-opinion-piece-unemployment-2306840-Sep2015/
“In January 2012 the number was 15%, and the Troika had demanded a radical overhaul in the memorandum of understanding. In particular they demanded an active rather than passive approach to welfare – not just supporting unemployed people, but directly working on them to make them find jobs.”
“Whilst in 2010 there were a wide range of labour market programmes (e.g. in-work benefits, job creation programmes, placement services, training and counselling) in 2012 under Pathways to work they were strengthened and made mandatory, and benefits were made more clearly conditional on job-seeking efforts and engagement with social welfare services; non-compliance of any sort can result in sanctions – a reduction of €44 per week or a cessation of payment for up to 9 weeks. For instance, refusing to take an internship can lead to this form of punishment.
Activisation policies have been popular in the USA and Scandinavia since the 1970s; and have been warmly embraced by Merkel in German and Cameron in the UK.
The problem with the term ‘activation’ is that it lumps together the offer of help with the threat of sanctions. The international evidence on active labour market policies is at best weak; and in Ireland non-existent. The state commissioned no research into the impact of the new Pathways to Work policies on employment or the well-being of jobseekers.”
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/listen-noonans-comments-on-people-allergic-to-work-draw-criticism-676040.html
“Now we all know there are people who will never work, who are allergic to work, so we’re not including those in the statistics, but everybody who wants a job will have a job in the next couple of years.”
Now F.G. is singing a different tune?
Jesus, they’d sell their granny’s water supply to get into power….. Oh wait.
Yeah give you an increase and get rid of usc …whats the point when and claw even more back from you with water property tax etc etc
Money should go back into the health service if it is available …. that way people who work and can’t afford private health care also benefit.
have your say