The Fine Gael spokesperson on community, rural, and Gaeltacht affairs Deputy Michael Ring has warned that newly unemployed people are being hung out to dry by the Government because social welfare offices in Mayo still do not have the staff levels to cope with the worsening unemployment crisis.
“Social welfare offices across the country are already struggling to cope with the thousands of people joining the dole queues every week. But with the country in the grip of an unemployment crisis and the highest ever Live Register figures, the newly unemployed are facing an even longer wait for their Jobseeker’s Allowance,” Dep Ring said.
“Minister Hanafin has confirmed in the Dáil that fewer than half of the extra social welfare office staff she promised are actually in place. Just 57 of the 115 extra staff promised by the Minister are now working in Social Welfare Offices to tackle the backlog of claims. Unless she gets to grips with the situation it will only get worse,” he added.
Continuing, Dep Ring said: “The latest figures from the Minister reveal shocking waiting times for jobseekers. Minister Hanafin claims that anyone waiting for Jobseeker’s Allowance can turn to community welfare officers. This is a myth, given that this facility has been swamped by the huge number of desperate people who have recently lost their jobs. It’s a bitter irony that the Government which blew the boom and squandered the nation’s hard-earned finances cannot now support those who have lost their jobs as a result,” he concluded.
