Should people on social welfare be allowed to bet/have satellite tv?

I think there are quite a lot of factors to account for, when considering that judgement.
From an economical and cultural perspective for a start.

Economically, it benefits the government coffers, to have a certian number or more unemployed. When selling national assets to corporations and inviting new business in from other countries. Workers are a currency and the country with the lowest price, versus quality of work(depending on the business), gets the deal.
The fact that you can't afford satellite tv, I would say is mostly down to the way the economy is being directed purposefully.

From the governments perspective, culturally speaking, it has been tradition that politicians and their supporters get rich from being in a certain role. Instead of doing a certain role.
This pervades down through the generations and families of politicians. The results are a disrupted economy trying to bare the weight of these people, drowning in public money.

Economically speaking for the unemployed, they are under the thumb of a corrupt government, like everyone else. But with the added bonus, that they know at any time, they could lose their only support framework and be kicked out onto the street. They are often held ransom to this fact.
As house prices go up and rent allowance goes down, it is becoming more and more difficult for people to survive.
I think a massive portion of unemployed who are renting and are elligable for rent allowance, pay rent out of their social welfare as well(which is not accounted for and is yet another scam between landlords unions and social welfare), just to cover having a roof over their heads.

Culturally the irish have a well known tradition of dealing with their problems through alcohol and socializing in the local meet up(the pub).
This could be seen as a care free life. It could also be seen as the only thing left in the world that helps forget the misery and hopelessness.
The gambling I can actually understand. Desperate people take desperate measures. That is more of an addiction and coping behaviour I would say.
When I have been really desparate, I have often thought about betting on a political election in the US( A topic I understand well), if that is even possible.
The reason was the dream that I might have some extra money to buy food. I know this is the case for a lot of people.
The ones you see at the bookies and at the pubs do not represent the majority and they don't look that well off to me. To think that all unemployed should be punished, because a small number do a certain thing in their free time ( and because they are seen where others are not), is a little unfair to those who are genuinely suffering from day to day and are just not outside to be seen.
You could be coming home from work to a ghost town and it would not be visibly noticeable.

After living allover the country and earnign a decent wage and suffering unemployment and health issues related to previous work... i have learned to try not to jump the gun until i have walked in those shoes.
Since we all have varying struggles mentally, socially, economically, it is very difficult to walk in anyone elses shoes.
I wouldn't presume to know your situation or fully understand it. But I have worked for many years and understand the frustrations that can come with that.
If you are on minimum wage i do have sympathy. Those people are the ones that fuel these political interests and since everyone needs work, those positions will be filled if you don't take them.
The wise Irish don't take them on principle. The immigrants wouldn't have built up enough RSI for social welfare and as applying citizens they will take all those minium wage jobs, as more and more Irish go onto social support.
Then the irish will immigrate as they fall off the ladder and act as cheap labour for other countries to exploit, while putting other countries out of work and making them immigrate. There is a global plan of course

So erm..thats my 2 cents on the economy and cultural side.
I don't think it's much use looking at individual cases, if they do not cover the whole topic.

If anyone has time or patience, this lecture explains everything in detail.
Just found it today and thought it would apply here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUcH7c4PdpQ&list=PLxFXHDWfUqqLsV6qcykXI8BGIKH2Zx21h
This is part 3 where a lot of those details relevant here, are covered.

I doubt that food stamps and petrol stamps are a realistic way of tackling unemployment in this country. Somebody who is unemployed who has no money is not going to be able to pay their electricity bill or pay their car tax, so that doesn't make an awful lot of sense. At a glance, a system of food stamps and petrol stamps might seem like a convenient way to demean unemployed people but it doesn't resolve the unemployment problem.

Also, are we talking about all unemployed people, or people who are long-term unemployed (for a year or more) or are we talking about people who have never worked at all?

Look at this chart:



A lot of people have been unemployed in this country recently. Emigration affects this figure but immigration reduces the net population change. However, the unemployment rate has been falling steadily and is now 10%. Full employment is considered to have been achieved when a rate of 3-5 percent has been reached.

If we are talking about the long term unemployment rate (unemployed more than one year) then that rate has fallen from a record high of 9.6% in January 2012 to the current low of 6.6%.

I don't see the need to carry out a witch-hunt against all unemployed people just because a claim is made that some unemployed people visit bookies.

If we are complaining about the welfare state in Ireland, benefits here are not as comprehensive as they are in France, for example. See here:

The amount of the daily allowance is based on the recipient's earnings prior to the loss of employment and falls into one of the following 4 brackets:75% of gross salary for earnings below 1,143 €,
A minimum allowance of 28.58 € per day for earnings between 1,143 € and 1,251 €,
40.4% of daily gross salary plus a fixed amount of 11.72 € per day for a salary between 1,251 € and 2,118 €,
57% of daily gross salary for a salary between 2,118 € and 12,680 €

From the same source:

The amount and duration of benefit payments depend upon the period during which the claimant has contributed to the scheme and total contributions paid.

So in France, unemployment benefits are much better than they are here. However, there is a limit to the duration of benefits.

Maybe that could be an idea which is worth considering.

zeebre12 wrote: »

Should people on social welfare be allowed to bet/have satellite TV? I'm sick of seeing the amount of people mostly men outside the bookies when I'm going to get lunch during my break at work and on my way home. Its from the bookies to the pub for a lot of them every weekday spending my hard earned money indirectly, I'm sure its the same in every town with nothing else to do. Its a complete joke, and it sickens me working all day 5 days a week.
Also why should people on social welfare have the privilege of having satellite TV? I'm not able to afford it, and its not like they have the basic packages, they have the lot. Its actually shocking when you think about it. Its not a necessity that you can't live without. I'm sick of paying taxes to fund their TV subscriptions. Everyone I know who are on the dole have satellite TV, but I can't because I work, its a great little country isn't it?
And don't get me started on alcohol. It shows they mess of a country we live in, and it would only happen in this great little country.

You sound as if you begrudge people on the dole.

zeebre12 wrote: »

I don't hate all people that are on the dole..I just hate people who live on the dole and don't bother to find work. Also i detest people who claim any kind of benefit there is- like they get the disability allowance if they have a broken fingernail.It shocking that this country let's people live on benefits and have a better lifestyle than people who work. Its the people who have 'nothing' who get everything- like the communion allowance or whatever it was, that's what I pay my taxes for?

my father had a stroke and lost a lot of function in his left arm and leg, and guess what he gets? no job seekers allowance/benefit(whatever it's called) because he's technically unfit to work, and less than 20 euro a week of a disability allowance. he's someone who has worked all his life. it's obviously not easy to claim for some people.

zeebre12 wrote: »

I don't hate all people that are on the dole..I just hate people who live on the dole and don't bother to find work. Also i detest people who claim any kind of benefit there is- like they get the disability allowance if they have a broken fingernail.It shocking that this country let's people live on benefits and have a better lifestyle than people who work. Its the people who have 'nothing' who get everything- like the communion allowance or whatever it was, that's what I pay my taxes for?. We will try to skimp on the clothes and venue (at home), while the family on benefits will have a designer suite and a lavish venue..you call that fair?
I'm surprised theres not a new car allowance for people on social welfare?

You seem to have a major problem with people on social welfare.
My friend has a serious illness and her oh is her care between them they get just over 400e a week they also have 3 teenagers to keep.
What you are saying is that the shouldn't have the luxery of satilite tv. Well they have but they have the very lowest package.Believe me they didnt ask to be put in this situation but they have to cope and make the best of it.
Don't forget op your life can change in the blink of an eye. So please stop being so begrugging to people less well of than yourself

What if one of those on social welfare was making a couple of million, by milking the system illegally, would you be upset? what lengths would you go to in order to get justice?
That is what the politicians and their friends are doing right now in Ireland.
Living off the system as civil servants, selling out our country, not even to the highest bidder, just through friends and backhanders.
You could sack all those crooks , give every citizen in Ireland a living wage, for simply being a citizen and still have some left over. That is just cutting these peoples wages.
Our water infastructure would then have it's money back. Well, it's nearly all gone now anyway. I'm not even sure how much of the pention fund is left after they raided it.

There are much bigger fish to fry. People on the bottom of the ladder are not to blame for our economic situation. We are allvictims and the aim of government propaganda is to make sure the victims keepattacking each other. That way they can continue to lower minimum wages, keep the dole numbers up(increase employment potential for outside "investment") and get their state pention, when they pass the baton on to the next party to be bribed.
Government will always be run like this, until the majority of people become educated as to the reality of their situation.

OP is of the opinion that they are keeping the whole country on social welfare. You say you cant afford satalite tv.
If I was you I would take a close look at where you are spending your hard earned cash.
You will say morgage bills ect, but everyone has bills even people on welfare
OP can you honestly say there are none of your friends or family on welfare

Who is going to stop them?

zeffabelli wrote: »

Television is not a luxury, it is a household utility.

Now that they have gotten rid of analogue, everyone has to have cable or a satellite to get even the two state channels.

OP if you can't afford Satellite, SKY has some packages for E15 a month. Woul that be pushing it?

Utility my arse its a complete luxury and the op is correct there is a lot on the dole and couldn't be bothered working when there's the poor unlucky lads who have been made redundant etc and can't get any work.