Major focus needed to get long term Jobseekers back to work – O’Shea

The chairperson of the Dáil’s Social Protection Committee has expressed serious concern after figures showing 48,000 people unemployed for 12 months or more, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Chairperson of the Social Protection Oireachtas Committee, John Paul O’Shea TD has obtained a county-by-county breakdown of those in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Of the 47,764 Jobseekers in total, over 25 per cent are in Dublin.

Deputy O’Shea, today called on the Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary to publish a comprehensive new employment strategy to tackle the issue of long-term unemployment.

Deputy O’Shea said: “At a time when small businesses all across the country are crying out for staff, it’s hard to fathom why anybody would be in receipt of an unemployment payment for over a year.

“Yet figures from the Department of Social Protection show that 47,764 have been in receipt of a Jobseekers’ Allowance payment for over 12 months.

“We have record employment levels in Ireland and there is a job out there for everybody that wants one. We need to seriously ask the question: why are some people still not entering the workforce?

“There are a plethora of supports in place to help people with further education, training and reskilling. We also have programmes like Community Employment and the Work Placement Experience Programme which help people get hands on work experience.

“We need to examine the reasons behind these figures; are there welfare traps which are acting as a disincentive to people taking up employment? Do we need to examine the penalty rates for those who refuse to engage with back to work supports?

“There are small businesses in towns and villages across the country who cannot get staff particularly in the hospitality sector as we approach the busy summer season.

“I am calling on Minister Calleary to publish a comprehensive new employment strategy which focuses on intensive engagement with those who are long term unemployed.

“We should not be complacent because Ireland is at full employment – if anything now is the time to redouble our efforts so we can help address labour shortages in the economy by supporting those most distant from the labour market into the workforce.”