- Taoiseach: “Priority of Government to break the cycle of poverty & unemployment”
- 23% of Irish households jobless - Far above European norms
- 56% of Irish jobless households have children
- Jobless households most likely to have no educational qualifications, to have never worked or to be unskilled
The Government has today welcomed the report from the National Economic and Social Council, ‘Jobless Households: An Exploration of the Issue’, as Ireland continues to have an above average number of jobless households when compared to other European countries, a trend that was present even before the beginning of the recent economic crisis. [Report attached below].
The Government has stated that it will not accept a recovering economy and labour market where a large number of people are left behind. This NESC study is an informative insight into household joblessness and its impact on poverty and deprivation.
The Taoiseach said, “It is not acceptable that 23% of Irish households are jobless. Fifty six per cent of these jobless households are families with children. If this situation is not addressed it will perpetuate the cycle of joblessness, hopelessness and welfare dependency. The sharp increase in jobless households, from an already high level, will have lasting economic and social consequences for generations to come unless we have specific, targeted solutions.”
“The Government has a plan to get Ireland working again. The problem of jobless households is a complex one and requires an ambitious programme of reform. One of the Government's top priorities is to continue our plan to dismantle the passive welfare system that abandoned such large numbers of households to lifelong dependency on the State. This is essential if we are to break the cycle of poverty and unemployment associated with jobless households.”
The Report examines the characteristics of jobless households and finds that those who live in jobless households are more likely to have no educational qualifications, to have never worked or to be unskilled. They are also more likely to be renting their accommodation, to be single or parenting alone, and to either have a disability or to live with someone with a disability.
NESC outlines the Government’s response to date to address unemployment, including the Action Plan for Jobs, which is designed to accelerate the transition to a sustainable, job rich economy, and Pathways to Work, which aims to ensure that as many as possible of those newly created jobs go to people on the Live Register. It also considers notable reforms such as the transformation of the public employment and education and training services, as well as reconfiguration of the One Parent Family Payment.
NESC advises that the issue of jobless households will not be resolved through single solutions, but through a package of measures that reflect the complexity of the situation of jobless households and their needs. In addition, it proposes to carry out further work in examining the role of services in meeting the needs of jobless households.
Ends.
Notes for Editor:
The National Economic and Social Council (NESC) was established in 1973 and advises the Taoiseach on strategic issues for Ireland’s economic and social development.