Deputy Noel Coonan has slammed this Government for its failed and flawed policies as unemployment reached 7,712 in North Tipperary for the month of August, an increase of 3,950 on August 2008. The local Fine Gael TD said this jump of almost 4,000 in two years represents a Celtic Tiger that has long lost its roar in North Tipperary as constituents become more disillusioned with this dysfunctional Government.
“Nationally, unemployment has reached 13.8% and Ireland is experiencing a double-dipped recession. Alongside this, 36,438 households are now in mortgage arrears. While other countries are emerging from recession, Ireland remains in a cloud of gloom. The Government pumps billions into the banks and fails to put jobs first. Only this week Anglo Irish Bank reported losses of €8.2billion for the first six months of the year, yet this Government continues to sign blank cheques for the banks and dip its hands into taxpayers’ pockets,” said Deputy Coonan.
CSO figures for the month of August show Thurles is faring the worst at the moment with 3,201 people signing on; an increase of 65 people in one month. Meanwhile, there are 3,074 people on the dole in Nenagh and 1,437 in Roscrea.
“The number of professionals and middle class people signing on has grown sharply and nationally a shocking 2,500 people joined the dole last month. While the Enterprise Minister said the unemployment figures are frustrating and disappointing, this is no resolution for the thousands of families in North Tipperary who are unable to pay their mortgages and stuck in financial misery,” said Deputy Coonan.
The Government’s recently announced ‘work-for-dole’ initiative aims to get 10,000 dole claimants working in areas such as after school services and childcare in return for their benefits but Deputy Coonan said there are 445,000 people now on the dole and this gesture only causes a small ripple in a vast ocean.
“This initiative is welcome but it is too little too late. Fine Gael has been pushing the Government for measures to get people off the dole for some time. The large number of people signing on causes an extra €50 million strain in terms of additional social welfare payments that have to be doled out and also in lost taxes,” said the local Fine Gael TD.
Over the last two years since August 2008, Deputy Coonan said an additional 1,667 people have joined the dole queue in Nenagh. An extra 1,609 people have signed on in Thurles and the corresponding figure is 674 for Roscrea.
Fine Gael has called for urgent action from the Government to help young people who have been displaced to re-skill and gain work experience. The Opposition Party also wants an ambitious investment programme in the economic arteries of the future, measures to cut the cost of employing people and to promote flexible working arrangements which keep people attached to the workforce and a scheme to get credit flowing to small business.
Noel Coonan TD
086 2427733
