AS MANY as 10,000 people currently claiming unemployment benefits are to be offered “social employment” in the community over the coming months as part of a Government initiative.
Under the plans being drawn up by the Minister for Social Protection Éamon Ó Cuív, those who refuse to take up this work will lose their welfare payments.
Under the proposals, to be piloted over the next four months, up to 10,000 people will be employed on a range of projects such as the provision of childcare, working with sports clubs and on environmental initiatives such as improving forest and mountain pathways.
Those who take up this “social employment” work would be paid about €210 for a 19½-hour week. The payment will not be means-tested.
Those involved in the scheme will be allowed to carry out other work outside these hours without it affecting their welfare payments.
Mr Ó Cuív said the aim of the scheme was to help those out of work to maintain and develop skills and to deter welfare fraud.
The department confirmed yesterday that those who were put on a scheme and who failed to turn up for this social employment or who missed some scheduled hours would lose social welfare payments.
While people will not be forced to do work they do not want to do, a spokeswoman said that social welfare officials would investigate why people refused to take up training or to participate in the scheme. Cutting payments for missing work or training is standard practice in the State jobs training agency, Fás.
The department has said such investigations may uncover some who are working in the black economy: working full-time or part-time for cash while also claiming welfare. It is on that basis, the spokeswoman said, that the scheme will be cost-neutral, as it is hoped it will identify cases of social welfare fraud.
The initiative is to be introduced on a trial basis until the end of the year. It is understood that the numbers involved could be increased to 40,000 if it proved to be self-financing.
There was a qualified welcome for the scheme yesterday from the two main Opposition parties as well as the trade union movement.
Fine Gael’s spokesman on social protection Michael Ring said there was merit in the proposal as there were many people getting the dole who would prefer to work. But he warned against it being presented as a “10,000 jobs boost”. “There are no jobs. We will not have that nonsense. There are 450,000 people unemployed. This allows some of them to work for social welfare.”
His Labour counterpart Róisín Shortall said she generally welcomed the scheme as it gave an opportunity to extend social and community schemes – already well-established in rural areas – to cities and towns.
“I have some concerns about the use of this scheme to tackle fraud. This should be about helping those who are unemployed but who wish to work,” she said.
The president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions Jack O’Connor said it had already held discussions on the proposed scheme. He said congress was not opposed to it in principle but had indicated some concerns.
Congress has urged that the scheme should not be used to drive down pay and conditions of workers in either the public or private sectors and that its rules should be agreed centrally.
The new move will form part of a planned expansion of the existing Community Services Programme and the Rural Social Scheme. In a statement Mr Ó Cuív said: “Maintaining people’s employability through regular work activity will be important for getting people back into the competitive economy.”