Draconian Social Welfare Bill pushing families further into poverty – O'Brien
May 29, 2010
Sinn Féin Cllr Jonathan O'Brien has accused the Government of pushing families further into poverty with its Social Welfare Bill. O'Brien said it was hypocritical of the Government to propose cuts to social welfare rates while doing nothing to create jobs and training courses.
O'Brien also criticised the proposal to the cut one parent payment when the youngest child reaches the age of thirteen.
Speaking today Jonathan O'Brien said:
“It is highly hypocritical of the Government to propose to cut social welfare rates for people refusing certain jobs or training courses when they are doing absolutely nothing to create jobs or training courses.
“Of course, in this current climate nobody should be refusing work but we need to ensure that people are working to their ability and using the skills that they have been trained or taught to use.
“The Government knows there are no jobs out there and with this Bill they are pushing families further into poverty.
“There is no logic behind the proposal to cut the one parent payment when the youngest child reaches the age of thirteen. Does the Government expect a child at the age of thirteen to start bringing money into the household? Are we really heading back to the 60’s and 70’s when children left school to get jobs to support the family?
“This Government continues to punish the least well off for the economic mess its policies created while bailing out its banker and developer friends.
“This Bill penalises low income families yet again.
“A Government with no jobs strategy, presiding over record levels of unemployment, now proposes to punish the unemployed. I challenge the backbenchers of Fianna Fáil to stand up and prevent this draconian Bill from going any further.” ENDS
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