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THE CURRENT ECONOMIC crisis has underlined the “critical importance” of the welfare state, Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton has said.
Speaking at a conference focusing on vulnerable families – organised by the Confederation of Family Organisations of the European Union and the Irish Countrywomen’s Association – Burton said that, without welfare, “millions of families across the EU would literally be left with nothing”.
“In Ireland, research has shown the effectiveness of the welfare system in combating poverty. Official data shows that in 2010, social transfers reduced income poverty by 60 per cent. That single statistic alone demonstrates the absolute necessity of the welfare system,” she told delegates.
Burton highlighted the fact that during the economic boom in Ireland, the number of jobless households actually rose – standing at stood at 22 per cent by 2010. She said that now, during economically straitened times, the onus had to be on reforming the social welfare system from a passive one to an effective and engaged public employment service.
“My Department has launched a new one-stop service called Intreo for jobseekers, where they receive both their benefits and employment supports in the same place. We’re spending more than €1 billion this year on activation programmes, to help people return to work, training or education”, she said
Minister Burton is working with Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald on a joint childcare initiative which will provide an additional 6,000 childcare places this year, targeted at low-income families where the parents are availing of an employment opportunity. Burton said access to subsidised school-age childcare can greatly assist low-income families and, in particular, lone parents to make the transition into employment.
During its Presidency of the EU, the Government will seek to advance the Social Investment Package – particularly by focusing on children and youth unemployment. Certain EU Member States are experiencing unemployment levels above 25 per cent – with youth unemployment levels of double that.
“We have to give people hope for the future and we have to avoid the creation of a lost generation,” Burton said.
“This week, EU social protection and employment ministers will gather in Dublin to discuss these issues. I look forward to chairing the negotiations and am confident that, over the term of our Presidency, we can achieve a successful outcome.”
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Nobody has a problem giving welfare to those who deserve it, it’s the abuse of the career idle undeserving who contribute nothing positive to society except bills that the state pick up that annoy the tax payer…
Pio , no problem with basic welfare, the extras do my head in
Completely agree with you guys here….
Where people have huge problems is the combinations of welfare, housing allowance, bills, etc. etc. etc. Call it controversial… don’t care. I feel that people on benefits should have their benefits cut if they smoke. I pays thousands in taxes, pay my bills etc. and couldn’t afford to smoke!!! It just demonstrates disposable income thats being squandered. The smoking related illnesses they are likely to suffer costs the state more money again down the line!!! There is tonnes of help out there to quit and they are actually going to benefit most from quitting!
We all pay tax, we are all tax payers weather on welfare or working. Tax on everything you buy. It all goes back to the Government and then to the banks recieving billions. Cut welfare and the prisons will be over crowded. Do you know how much it costs to keep someone in jail? Welfare is survival money, keeps your head just above water.
Hey Shane,
Sure we all pay tax through vat, etc. etc. etc. but the point being made is the people paying tax on their income is paying for social welfare. This social welfare in turn is then spent which a proportion goes into vat returns etc.
I agree welfare is survival money. You have significant anomalies in the system which stir up peoples emotions and anger. e.g. someone on welfare demonstrating more spending power than someone paying a fortune in taxes and fighting to keep their head above water, “benefits tourism”, people staying on welfare due to the fact its not “worth their while” working.
The argument about bank bailouts, welfare anomalies etc. all boils back to the same principal. Someone getting something they should not be entitled to & fairness. Is it fair the Irish people have to pay for the banks bailouts, ABSOLUTE NOT. Is it fair that someone on welfare has more spending power than people with their backs against the walls paying thousands in tax, ABSOLUTELY NOT.
It is a terrible thing to run out of other people’s money.
Ken your deluded u think people on welfare are living the dream keep living in your bubble and believe everything your told I see people on welfare and they can’t eat . Why not look at cutting wages of our disgusting govt and fat cat bankers etc
Hi Aileen, why don’t you take the time to read what I said before replying?
“Ken your deluded u think people on welfare are living the dream keep living in your bubble and believe everything your told I see people on welfare and they can’t eat .” – I never said that they are living the dream!!! I’ve already said its bloody hard, I’ve been on welfare in the past so I have first hand experience. I’ve said there are anomalies in the system that need to be addressed.
Regarding reducing wages of dail etc. and bankers… absolutely!!! completely agree with you. There is only one way in life to make effective decisions & thats to have lived the reality of it. While TDs and bankers are on late 5 and often 6 figure salaries they are too detached from reality to make decisions that represent the classes that are being affected by those decisions.
Not many bankers on Social Welfare – too good at taking care of themselves.
I’ll work 60 hours a week, night shifts etc and pay nearly €300 a week between PAYE, PRSI,& USC !!!
Social Welfare paradise is well and truly alive and well–wait though I’m “lucky to have a job”
Why would you want to work 60 hours per week? Couldn’t you share these hours? Or are you just greedy??
So why not give up your job and go on the dole if you feel that way? There are plenty of people on the dole who would gladly swap roles with you.
Wel said rodigero course u pay high tax if your working 60 hrs wat do u expect
Frank welfare is 188 euros I think your doing better working 60 hrs a week
Did u ever think that he might HAVE to work 60 hours? It might be his roster…… Not all jobs are 19 or 39 hours a week look at doctors and gardai what they HAVE to work
Aileen equip yourself with information rather than sweeping comments please
Doctor haha poor things with that awful wage they get an all
Stay classy Aileen!
Thanks Aileen. I enjoyed the “shut your face” bit. Needed a laugh to go with my caffeine hit.
That kind of response makes sense to me. So many politically correct pretend moderators/drones here at journal.ie, all to willing to dictate the terms where personal expression is concerned.
Welfare for doing nothing is laughable, be available to contribute or do without , illness the exception
Shay there are no jobs cop on cut people at the top
Aileen, be available, do something for it, never said it shouldn’t be given, the days of entitlement are over, most people are capable of doing something for the payment
You overspent €92.35 Million!!! You should resign. Do you think telling us how important social welfare is will make us forget that you as a minister have fecked up. Get your books in order before you start looking for praise.
Despite ridiculous overspending, without social protection this recession would be even worse. I’m glad we can help those those who fell on hard times. This isn’t some 3rd world nation here people are left to charities to get food. People pay taxes and contributions so they can be sure here is that safety net when they loose here jobs.
Some people pay taxes & contributions…
I’d rather pay less tax and contributions and have a smaller safety net please.
We pay a heavy price for this “social protection” which is really a vote buying machine, though some of us are too stupid to understand that and others are well bought off: if you rob Peter to pay Paul, you can always count on Paul’s vote (with a hefty pension for yourself thrown in as well)
Don’t forget drinking cans all day!
Good old Labour. Celebrating welfare.
Social welfare is to stop the government from being overthrown using tax to protect their position.
Here here Joan . And can I jast say that it also highlights the wages and expenses of the people in government . Ministers should not be on more than 10 times the social welfare .
Ministers and public service pay are forms of social payments
Hopefully none of the compassionate souls here will ever need the safety net of social welfare.
Wel said Norman how wud they like it if they lost there job in the morning . I work and its one part of paying tax I don’t Mind cause I cud be on welfare nobody knows
they would if they read your fb page and saw what your busy doing.. lol
@norman I don’t think anyone has a problem with welfare being a safety net, problem is its not contribution based, nor time limited so for some it becomes a lifestyle
Stephen wen that useless gov starts doing something about providing jobs and creating proper budgets then time limit it not wen there is no work to go to
“Some” being the operative word ie minority,weed them out,deal with them,but don’t tar the majority that are unfortunate enough to need SW with the same brush.
Norman . We’re flogging a dead horse it’s alot of greedy people on here
Norman and Aileen, if I lose my job, I would be willing to do something for the payment i receive ,
Entitlement is a wrong attitude to have
How can you limit the time, what because the government are creating so many jobs that we can say people have 6 months on social welfare what then thrown them out on the streets, maybe you could tell me how this would work.
Wel that’s not people on welfare s fault that’s our gov to set up something are ye deluded do ye have any prob with clowns at the top creaming it
The “safety net” is more like a trap, and a money pit. It goes hand-in-hand with the clowns at the top, who’ve realized how cheaply Irish people can be bought off. Bread and circuses for the plebs.
People on welfare and benefits should not have a higher disposable income than those that work. At the moment there isnt any incentive for people to get a job because they would lose to much!!
That’s a load of bull
Aileen in certain circumstances you are entirely wrong!!! And I know that for a fact! Arm yourself with facts if you are going to take a position
Wrong about wat exactly state that at least ken wud u
Ken if your referring to Leanne’s comment I never said all circumstances the same why don’t u read comments properly from wat I have seen its not true i no ur attitude anyway towards people on welfare seen your comments before
Hi Aileen,
If you’re going to engage in a debate online (essentially) at least check your spelling and back your argument up with facts.
My attitude towards social welfare is simple. In fact its the same for all of society. You get nothing for nothing…. if someone gets something for nothing then someone else is paying. Sure I truly believe that there should be a social welfare system to protect those who fall on hard times, absolutely. The exact same applies for the banking bailout, completely wrong that society is paying.
When you start getting people making decisions to work/not work based off the fact that its more beneficial not to work then the system is broken! I also believe that rates paid should be proportionate to the contributions made by the individual/family. In some instances you have people exhibiting more disposable income on welfare than those who are struggling to pay bills and taxes that covers welfare. That is simply wrong!
My attitude is to the welfare system itself demonstrated by examples. I’ve been on social welfare myself at a time so I know exactly what its like. I’m not saying its easy, absolutely not.
Ken this is not a spelling comp so stop talking rubbish haha
Leanne I see on your Facebook profile your working for the Government. Another Government troll
A lot of these so called wasters worked hard to pay their social insurance,tax ect… If they lose their job which has happened to many they are entitled to these payments , and they have to suffer the indignity of people calling them names on top of the loss of their job … Not everyone is a dole cheat ,waster , dosser or whatever some people should just learn to think a little before they spew out their venom ….
Exactly kristine many of people on dole have contributed and have lost there job but people on this seem to have jobs and want to give out bout people on dole . Hope they go to dole office and get nothing . People are so blind it’s banks developers and politicians that are screwing us not a small few people taking the piss on the sold wise up
Dole’
@Aileen many, if not the vast majority, do want a job; however your denying reality if you exclude the sizeable minority who never intend to work and rather live off the taxes of people like the chap above who works 60 hours a week
There are always Irish idiots who complain about people who end up on welfare because they can’t find a job. Count yourselves lucky you still have a job, If something happens to you im sure you will be happy to get welfare. Only for the thousands of Irish people that have moved abroad the dole queues would be far higher than they are now. If you people have something to moan about why dont you write into the Government asking them why are they giving away billions worth of Oil and Gas, and the Billions being given away to banks. Are the Irish really that stupid.
Yes, they are really that stupid. With hardly a whimper they oversee the transfer of €80 billion + of public money into a slush fund designed and overseen by the top 10%. Those 10% have more lawyers than I’ve had hot dinners and a political class on €200,000 per head in their pockets that facilitate the process with fluffy legislative instruments designed specifically to protect their interests.
The Irish electorate don’t have the nuts to go after hard targets. Much easier to swallow the spin and victimize those residing at the low end of the social spectrum. They are easily distracted and are led like sheep down any road their elected reps wish to lead them.
There are third world dictators scratching their heads in wonder and awe at how Irish politicians have managed to pull off such a fraud without wasting a significant proportion of the population. But we Irish don’t feel the need to scratch our heads when both our hands are lodged firmly between the cheeks of political arse.
Wel said Shane I work in Dunnes and am dam glad to have it
Shane comments I have read from snobs on this don’t deserve welfare way they talk they believe people shud left starve on the streets that’s why our country in a mess because of pure GREED
Shane, can’t find a job? How come the Polish manage it???
William stupid statement to make in this country about jobs
I was at an interview today, The company got over 200 calls the day the job advert was put up. They called 28 people for an interview for 1 position. Wish me luck. Im in my 20′s. I have worked for years and paid tax. I am entitled to job seekers allowance. Your right Aileen the country is full of selfish greedy snobs, they are the people that destroyed this country.
Fingers crossed for you Shane :)
@tom newnewman. So the gardai & nurses are a form of welfare payment? as a nurse I can tell you friends on welfare have a higher income & more social life than I also now our politicsl leaders want to cut what little I have probsbly fully supported by people like you. Hope you fon’t need emergency help from public sector anytime soon.
Helen highly unlikely Tom will declare himself to be a “public sector basher” if he is unlucky enough to need your help.
I said social ( to maintain society) payment not welfare payment I am also a poorly paid public servant
Tom there’s no such thing
You’re not seriously suggesting that public sector workers will be checking the opinions of citizens before providing the service they have already paid through the nose for … are you?
While your all busy knocking the sh1t out of each other, the government is free to send your money off to pay the illegal bank (bail out). zero tolerance for fraud . Welfare should fix the mistakes. People should focus on the real problem.
Cop on many people wud lov a job some people are not in touch with reality at all in this country
Of course its vital for the genuine needy but to overspend by 93million is a farce, complete and utter farce. If that was the dept of justice there would be absolute murder. Can’t believe that there isn’t more about it, public outcry. That overspent money is desperatley needed elsewhere. This one incident sums up this government and country. I give up, honestly give up
Well aileen a good friend of mine who was recently made reduntant after nearly 20 years working cannot get over how much money he has between benefits and dole. My pal is married with 3 kids so could be that he gets more benefits than ur boyfriend. He has said that it is not worth his while getting another job. He is not a waster and has worked all his life previous to this
Lucky him but my boyfriend is really struggling and wud love a job so that’s why I don’t agree
wud he?
‘Focusing on Children and Youth labour’ it was only a matter of time before they put the kids to work. Haha!!
Stephen of course there are those people but that does not mean its ok to say nobody deserves welfare which I have seen on this . It cud be any of us just such a selfish attitude people shud look at the greedy fat cats of our country instead
Life is good. I went on 3 holidays in 2012. Planning 3 more this year, all thanks to the tax payer.
Troll
The Minister for Social Protection said that without welfare payment, “millions of families across the EU would literally be left with nothing” & this is because the workers who pay high amounts of tax & USC are keeping it all going.. many of whom are left with nothing themselves.
Alan tax wealthy properly I earn 17000 and I’m paying same USC as idiots earning 100000 that’s where prob is not taxing wealthy properly
Well I only earn 16950, and I say tax those stinking riches earning 17000 and even more!
Cop on troll
Yes Stephen, 3 percent of people were unemployed during the boom and on social welfare, now that was the responsibility of the FF government to get these people back into working life. They didn’t. Social welfare payments were well over 200 euro, they are now at 188 if you are over 25 ,there are so many terms that have to be met to get any allowances like fuel electricity, most people are living on just the 188. Have this 3 percent been investigated and their payments dropped im nearly certain not until very recently if at all.We have all seen the big cars etc. 12% percent are people who worked all their lives, payed taxes, and deserve what they get, most of this 12% are barely surviving, their not eating prop, not turning on heating in cold weather etc. lets look at FF in government for years not doing their job just partying and corruption it was our taxes paying them so we were paying them to do nothing, weren’t we oh wait no we paid them to be involved in corruption and partying and bring the country to it knees and put that 12% on sw.
Aileen honestly don’t bother, the media have stirred up this divide by doing documentaries of people on sw talking about two holidays a year etc etc, you won’t change people minds, they just believe everything they read, you will be shocked by what people say hear but take no notice most are just sheep
AND THE SHEEP WILL SOON ENOUGH BE FLEECED TOO :)
Damn predictive text, meant you’re and not your
The unemployment rate is so high in Ireland because of the lack of jobs. You dont need to be a brain surgeon to figure that one out. The internship scheme the Government created is not creating jobs its creating slave labour. I see Internships for Car Cleaners, Pot Washers, Sales Assistants, Factory Operative. We have a joke of a Government.
Pathetic small minded people like you make me want to leave this country and never return. Its all about money$$ complain to the Government the billions worth of oil and gas the government are giving away, I bet you know nothing about it. Lol
The powers that be are the the idle squanderers. They created masses of the unemployed and their ultimate reward is a great salary with massive pensions. Divide and conquer indeed. Lambasting the poor and needy doesn’t defuse this reality.
Oil, we don’t have to go excavating it ourselves, but we don’t have to give it away for nothing, Ireland used to own 50% of all oil, 8% in royalties and taxed at a rate of 50%, now they have changed this and we own none of it, we get no royalties, and they are taxed at. Rate of 25% and 40% max they can have there tax written off against 100% of their cost they do not have to keep the oil in Ireland or sell it back, former head of statoil in Ireland said Ireland gives more favourable rates to oil companies than anywhere in the world, the government have stolen from the Irish people to give to these big corporation. As for social welfare people spreading their legs and all that other crap you spouted above, so the 12% unemployed due to government corruption, have in the last 4 years changed their hole outlook on life and just decide to have babies and drink cans, people like you make me sick. 90% of people on welfare are not having any standard of life. You are too quick to believe everything media spouts out at you stop being so small minded and grown the hell up a little. Your comments are disgusting and don’t say much about you.
Why is it a load of bull?
My boyfriend lost his job is on dole it does not equal a wage Leanne wat he gets no way
Here, fella we use €€€ in this country. As for natural gas, and oil of course there is. However would you like another bailout to go exploring?? Go away you incessant langer and find someone else to troll muhuhahahaha
Shane Freedom,
Glad that my comment interested u enough that u felt the need to look up my facebook page (weird!!).
If u actually read my comments correctly u will see that at no stage did i say anything derogatory about people that have to claim unemployment benefits. During a recession we all know people that unfortunately lost their jobs or took major cuts.
My point is that there is a major problem in this country if people are better off not working than those that work. When we come out of the recession there is no incentive for many people (not all) to look for another job!!
Simple Leanne, I just clicked on your name and it brought me to your facebook page where it says you work for the Government. (Whats so weird about that) Ireland wont be out of recession for many years to come with more cuts and tax rises on the way. People are better off working than on welfare, its a tiny amount of people that abuse the system.
Leanne the cost of living is extremely high in Ireland u shud think of that too
Burton the grave robber is at it again.
You know the job has gone to their heads when they start to call the department MY department someone remind her its OUR department. it is a shame that when her and her party are gone from government she wont have to go to this department to survive.
Go Julie girl all it says is there selfish and have no regard for people who have nothing which means there prob wealthy cause there usually greedy
have your say