Government's Four Year Plan Anti-Jobs-O'Leary

Government's Four Year Plan Anti-Jobs

Speaking today after the release of the Live Register Figures for November, Sinn Féin's general election candidate for Cork South Central, Cllr Chris O'Leary said that soaring emigration is masking unemployment figures and the Government's four-year plan was a strategy that would cost jobs.

Cllr O'Leary said:

“These figures show two things - that emigration is masking the true extent of unemployment and that long-term unemployment is on the rise. One third of those on the dole are now long-term unemployed."

"By the end of this year 70,000 people will have left the country. The ggovernment have based their four year strategy on the expectation that 100,000 people will emigrate over that period. This is the only target in the plan they are likely to meet. Young people are leaving the country in droves, and it is no coincidence that half of those who left the Live Register in the past month were under 25.”

“It was also revealed yesterday that one third of those on the dole are now categorised as long term unemployed.”

“The government have failed categorically to produce a job creation strategy for the country. Instead they have given us a four-year plan for further misery. As well as costing 25,000 jobs directly in the public service, the plan will cost thousands more indirectly across the economy as it takes money out of circulation and reduces our potential for growth. To add insult to injury, the unemployed are to see their benefits progressively reduced across the four years, having already suffered a reduction in the last budget as well as the withdrawal of the Christmas bonus.”

“Long term unemployment and emigration are once more becoming ingrained into Irish life, and this government is only making things worse.”

For further information or comment contact Cllr Chris O’Leary @ 087-2794307