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Fri 30th July
She said: "Today's announcement that the Government will effectively push the unemployed into employment could turn out to be a very costly and impossible vision.
“Any back-to-work schemes will only be successful if work is available. If the Government is serious about assisting people back to work they must embark upon programmes that will see work schemes developed over the next few years. Unemployment cannot be reduced overnight by the production of policy papers. The Government must take a long-term look at assistance and work schemes.
“When I was Minister for Social Development I warned my UK counterpart about looking for quick fixes and forcing the unemployed and their families into impossible situations. I repeated this warning during my maiden speech at Westminster and today's announcement gives me further concern. I will be working closely with the Minister for Social development, my colleague Alex Attwood, in his work to ensure that the most vulnerable are not unfairly penalised and targeted by the coalition Government.
“The fact is that jobs are increasingly scarce and this policy will simply lead to more pressure being applied to the unemployed and Social Security staff to achieve the unattainable, which is employment in the current climate of economic decline.
“This policy could effectively punish the vulnerable if they fail to find work in a climate where jobs are very scarce. I fear that this policy in its outworkings could lead to benefits being removed from some of the most vulnerable within society and children being left exposed to increase levels of poverty.”
Email
m.ritchie@sdlp.ie
Tel 028 4461 2882
Tel 028 90 52 1837
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