Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

Despite commitments and promises during the general election campaign in 2011, the Government parties are continuing to pursue the programme of the Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government that preceded them. They were elected on a platform of ensuring the least well off and ordinary families across the State would be protected. They have reneged on that commitment and they are now targeting them for austerity while wealthy people get away scot free. During the lifetime of the Government, approximately 18,000 young people have lost jobs, 30% are unemployed and more than 100,000 have left the country. They are being targeted in a recession that they had no hand, act nor part in creating. For instance, we all recall the high profile commitments given by the Labour Party about third level fees in the general election campaign, on which it has reneged. The back to education schemes have been cut and this is seriously undermining the potential for young people to return to education. Fees were introduced in budget 2014 for the first time for apprentices on block release while significant cuts were made to the jobseeker's allowance for those aged under 26. This will force them out of the country to work in Canada, Australia and elsewhere. They have shown that they are not lazy and they are willing to work but, unfortunately, they are being forced out of the country to work in other economies.

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