Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The impact of the reduction in jobseeker's allowance for young people could show this to be one of the poorest decisions made by this Government. I do not think that the Minister has analysed its impact on young people and the number whom it will drive into poverty. It will have a knock-on effect on the JobBridge scheme. If these people were available for €100 per week and received an extra €50, bringing that to €150 for 40 hours they would receive €3.80 an hour which is less than half of the minimum wage. It is not possible for anyone to live on €3.80 an hour in Ireland, given the cost of living here. It looks as if we want to compete with wages in eastern Asia although the cost of living here is several times higher than it is there.

Young people do not have a prayer of surviving on this type of money. It closes the door completely on them. They will be left with no option but to leave the country. The situation is stark. They are being pushed out of the country. I do not see how they can stay here. I do not know how any who stay behind will remain out of poverty. This will be a terrible move on the part of this Government.

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