Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

At the outset I said I support the thrust of this policy. It is right. However, I am concerned about the lack of flexibility and sympathy on the Minister's part regarding particular categories of people who, for one reason or another, do not fit into this model. I am not sure people realise what is being proposed here. It is not a situation where there is an entitlement to a jobseeker's allowance but the social welfare officer tells the person he or she will not get the full rate unless he or she goes on a training course. This Bill halves the jobseeker's allowance for under-20s and the only way one can increase one's income is by going on a course.

The standard is half rate for people under 20. That blanket approach does not allow for the small number of exceptional cases. The Minister talks about a reasonable offer. We do not know what is a reasonable offer. There may be any number of reasons a person is not in a position to undertake a training course. I am not suggesting anybody who is swinging the lead be given an easy time. However for one reason or another, due to family circumstances, mental health or particular difficulties at particular times there will be numbers of people who will not be able to go on a course. It is easy to ask why a drug addict should get this payment but that is a cheap approach. There will always be exceptions and people in difficult circumstances. The standard should not be that a person will get only half and must go on a course in order to get more. A person should have flexibility. There is flexibility at present and the Minister is removing it.

She recognised and conceded that point with regard to the category of people coming out of care who are vulnerable and have particular difficulties and challenges. However, for various reasons, there are other categories of vulnerable people who are not in a position to participate in a course. Those people do not need to have their income halved. They are struggling and we all know of them. These people are in our constituencies and are going through a rough time for one reason or another. Under the arrangements proposed there is no provision whereby these people can be given the standard rate of social welfare payment. That is wrong. There will be people who will suffer real hardship as a result of this.

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