Call for deal on the 'forgotten unemployed'
A Galway TD has appealed for a new deal for the ‘forgotten unemployed’ — who do not qualify for welfare payments and are left out of the loop when it comes to assistance in getting back to the workplace.
Independent Deputy Noel Grealish said that there were hundreds, possibly thousands, of people in Galway ‘falling through the cracks’ and feeling increasingly helpless as a result.
“These are people who may have lost their jobs and do not qualify for the Dole because their wife or their husband may be working.
“And because they are outside the welfare system, they are also missing out on the chance of getting onto one of the programmes that can be starting blocks to get back to work full-time.”
Deputy Grealish said that because most government-sponsored programmes like the Community Employment Scheme, the Tús community work placement initiative and Gateway required applicants to be in receipt of a social welfare payment.
“But the people who are losing out in this are those who do not qualify for social welfare payments, maybe because their spouse or partner has a job that puts them over the income threshold.
“Not only do they not get any money, they are also largely excluded from the programmes and courses aimed at helping people ease back into the workplace by developing new skills.
“They are being left out in the cold, struggling to get information and feeling increasingly helpless and even useless as a result.
“Many of them who have contacted my office seeking help would have been self-employed when times were better but found themselves, through no fault of their own, out of work when the economic crash hit,” said the Galway West TD.
Now, Deputy Grealish has called for Government action to address the problem of the ‘forgotten unemployed’.
“At the moment they are not even a statistic as they aren’t on the Live Register. We need to make sure that they are no longer forgotten about — maybe a new register should be established for those in this position.
“Then inclusion on that register could entitle them to be considered for the back to work schemes and courses … in many cases they need to develop new skills to be able to get a job.
“Regardless of how it’s done, we must find some way to make sure that anybody who wants to get back to work gets every assistance to achieve their aims,” he said