Work for Dole scheme announced

oppenheimer1 · 29-08-2010 05:24PM #1

According to RTE, a new work for dole scheme has been announced where claimants will have to work 19.5hr/wk in the community in order to claim benefits. While I can see the advantages to such a scheme, I can also see the negative side. Will it take jobs away from other people? Will it make it harder for the long term unemployed to get jobs or will a new underclass of community workers develop, getting by on a meagre €210 a week?

link:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0829/welfare.html

johnnyskeleton · 29-08-2010 05:28PM

It's a good idea in theory, but in practice will probably go a bit pear shaped.

seithon · 29-08-2010 05:33PM

Well aside from the risk of possibly undercutting existing businesses I see no real problem with this. Indeed I've thought such a thing would be a good idea for some time now.

TheReverend · 29-08-2010 05:38PM

I have already posted this on the IE forum, as long as this is done fairly (target long term users of the dole who have never worked a day in their life first) then it could be a good idea. Also give people a choice where they work, let them choose from other things such as animal shelters and such. I would hate to see people degraded to picking up litter in the street or painting walls to cover up graffiti

gbee · 29-08-2010 05:44PM

It's a good idea and it's much needed, there is plenty of work to do but cash strapped local authorities won't hire the men.

It keeps the potential claimant in a work frame so he is better prepared to take on permanent work when it becomes available. Workers can lose the incentive and the will to do anything over time so keeping them occupied is a sound idea.

It should also have benefits in crime, not only will some of the claimants be active in either black market work or crime, they will come across some crime and vandalism that they or their children will have caused. So if dad has to clean the graffiti off the wall that his son did the night before ... well, I think you get the point.

'Community Service' for minor offences may cause the wrong connection to this scheme though, it would need to be handled sensitively.

Mr.Micro · 29-08-2010 07:21PM

Who is going to set up such a scheme, how is it going to be run and is it yet another agency?? Look at the sham that FAS is and the way it is run. Pure sound byte BS. Why not just create public infrastructure projects and employ people or is it just slave labour that this idiotic Government wants?

Why not just line up the ferries and planes and export our people like they did in the past.....because that is what Biffo would really like to solve the problem of unemployment.

cavedave · 29-08-2010 07:32PM

Great does this allow those whose partners earned slightly above average industrial wage to have an income while unemployed? Or are they are still left to fend for themselves as they are not currently in receipt of dole even though they are unemployed?

kerash · 29-08-2010 07:32PM

Sounds like the CE Scheme thats all ready in place through Fás..

d4v1d · 29-08-2010 07:39PM

i think working for the dole is a great idea. contrary to other opinions expressed above i don't think it should be thought out with any great concern for sensitivity to who it should target or what roles should be performed.

this sort of pc attitude is far too prevelant and is one of the reasons why every good idea is shot down in seconds as we must 'protect the vulnerable' in society and all that. water rates, property tax, means testing the medical card, etc, all great ideas but then someone pipes up with 'we need to make sure that this does not affect the vulnerable' and other such pc drive.

picking up rubbish or cleaning graffiti is nothing to be ashamed of. i often go out in my local area picking up the rubbish that scumbags just dump (gormely has a lot to answer for with his policies on waste) at the side of the road. if i saw someone/anyone picking up rubbish or cleaning up the place in any way i'd be bloody delighted. well done to anyone that does this for a living i say.

so if someone that did not have a job, as i currently don't, had to go out for a few hours and start making the place that bit better in order to get the dole, then be indiscriminate and send as many people out as possible. to hell with sensitivity.

cavedave · 29-08-2010 07:44PM

d4v1d i think working for the dole is a great idea. contrary to other opinions expressed above i don't think it should be thought out with any great concern for sensitivity to who it should target or what roles should be performed.

Remember this quote the first time we hear a pedophile is put in charge of children

yoshytoshy · 29-08-2010 08:10PM

As long as theres more people doing work ,than there is in an office telling them what to do (HSE)
Should be good for everyone.

Chinasea · 29-08-2010 08:16PM

promises promises.

This will most likely never happen. The UK are pulling the duvets off the Vickie Pollards, the Waynes and the Waynettas and as usual Ireland is looking on pretending it might do something about their Irish couisants.

deise go deo · 29-08-2010 08:57PM

I think such a thing is long overdue, However I would prefer an optional work and get extra system where people who work get more money than people who choose not to.

MidlandsM · 29-08-2010 09:02PM

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

It's a good idea in theory, but in practice will probably go a bit pear shaped.

+1, and there'll be a lot of brest feeding of shovels going on with these scheme's, typically oirish:rolleyes:

unit 1 · 29-08-2010 09:04PM

seithon wrote: »

Well aside from the risk of possibly undercutting existing businesses I see no real problem with this. Indeed I've thought such a thing would be a good idea for some time now.

Hmmm I'm tempted to think certain nomadic people will have issues with staying in one spot for that length of time;)

yoshytoshy · 29-08-2010 09:09PM

unit 1 wrote: »

Hmmm I'm tempted to think certain nomadic people will have issues with staying in one spot for that length of time;)

I hear copper has gone up in price, I'm sure they'll be alright without the government

letmerollit · 29-08-2010 09:15PM

Great idea, here's hoping it gets executed properly. If people refuse to do the social work then I think the the amount they receive should be reduced by at least 50%.

Personally I'd love to see scum bags and skangers forced to give a bit back. The exploitation of our social welfare system is epidemic. Everyone talks about the foreigners who fly in for dole but nobody talks about the scum bags who go from cradle to grave never holding a job all the while going through live terrorizing decent folk and breeding more of their kind.

Imagine if you will on your commute to work seeing skangers, en mass, picking up trash on the N11? Sweeping the streets in town, prying up gum from the foot paths. Have them do it in their own neighborhoods as well. I can't tell you how many times I've seen these people littering and letting their dogs ****e anywhere they please. Maybe if they have to clean it up they'll be less inclined to foul their streets.

This would also be a great way to put people back to work. Construction workers and those who hold a safe pass could work 19.5 hours a week building. Prisons, roads, schools...

This might be the way to bring about real social change in this country. Way too many people think it's their god given right to leach off the rest of us.

Alwayson · 29-08-2010 09:17PM

I'm unemployed and spend all my time trying to find work. When I do get an interview, I usually have to prepare a presentation as well. This all takes time. While I have nothing against the idea of working for the dole, if I had to work half the week on the proposed scheme, it would probably decrease my chances of getting permanent work.

letmerollit · 29-08-2010 09:22PM

TheReverend wrote: »

I have already posted this on the IE forum, as long as this is done fairly (target long term users of the dole who have never worked a day in their life first) then it could be a good idea. Also give people a choice where they work, let them choose from other things such as animal shelters and such. I would hate to see people degraded to picking up litter in the street or painting walls to cover up graffiti

Degraded? Work is never degrading. I was out of work for two months and I wasn't eligible for the dole because I was self employed previously. If they allowed me to get on the dole and let me work for it I would have been happy to pick up litter and remove graffiti... no shame in working. I don't care who you are. Before I was made redundant I was contracting at Bank of Scotland, I was on €75,000 per year. If someone wants to pay me now to clean up mess I will.

This is the problem with our society today, people think good honest labour is "degrading".

patwicklow · 29-08-2010 09:25PM

or maybe send them to the 5 star golf clubs to wash up after the bankers/ politicians banquets that they always have.......
well come to new age slavery.like €220 for 19 hours?? and i bet that will be taxed also, what year is this? easy know politicians dont know the price of petrol.

letmerollit · 29-08-2010 09:27PM

Alwayson wrote: »

I'm unemployed and spend all my time trying to find work. When I do get an interview, I usually have to prepare a presentation as well. This all takes time. While I have nothing against the idea of working for the dole, if I had to work half the week on the proposed scheme, it would probably decrease my chances of getting permanent work.

Excuses, excuses. You can find the time like.

I was in the same exact situation. I'd spend hours applying online for jobs during the day and prepping for interviews. However, evenings and weekends were free. Most afternoons were free as well.

I went on 9 interviews in the space of two months, I sent out hundreds (yes, hundreds of CVs) to get those interviews and I would still have had time to work elsewhere. I felt worthless during those two months and I would have loved a bit of labour. Cleaning, helping with young ones, working in an animal shelter... Helping out the elderly or picking up trash. I wouldn't have minded at all. I would have enjoyed the distraction. I would have loved knowing I was contributing.

The unemployed receiving dole payments are an untapped resource. Get out there and earn your bread I say.

Best idea ever. If Fianna Fáil had been doing things like this for the last 7 years we wouldn't be where we are today, sadly it takes all this before they start making good decisions.

Alwayson · 29-08-2010 09:34PM

Not interested in getting into "my daddy's bigger than yours" territory. My point applies to my circumstances, everyone is different. Unemployment sucks, we all have to deal with it in our own way.

caseyann · 29-08-2010 09:38PM

letmerollit wrote: »

Excuses, excuses. You can find the time like.

I was in the same exact situation. I'd spend hours applying online for jobs during the day and prepping for interviews. However, evenings and weekends were free. Most afternoons were free as well.

I went on 9 interviews in the space of two months, I sent out hundreds (yes, hundreds of CVs) to get those interviews and I would still have had time to work elsewhere. I felt worthless during those two months and I would have loved a bit of labour. Cleaning, helping with young ones, working in an animal shelter... Helping out the elderly or picking up trash. I wouldn't have minded at all. I would have enjoyed the distraction. I would have loved knowing I was contributing.

The unemployed receiving dole payments are an untapped resource. Get out there and earn your bread I say.

Best idea ever. If Fianna Fáil had been doing things like this for the last 7 years we wouldn't be where we are today, sadly it takes all this before they start making good decisions.

Utter rubbish,claiming that.Only thing made this country and economy as it is today is the government.

letmerollit · 29-08-2010 09:40PM

caseyann wrote: »

Utter rubbish,claiming that.Only thing made this country and economy as it is today is the government.

You read that wrong.

I'm saying this is the first good decision they've made.

Yes, I Fianna Fáil responsible for our downfall, completely.

letmerollit · 29-08-2010 09:44PM

Alwayson wrote: »

Not interested in getting into "my daddy's bigger than yours" territory. My point applies to my circumstances, everyone is different. Unemployment sucks, we all have to deal with it in our own way.

Ya you're not going to argue because you yourself know how idle the unemployed get. After I cleaned the gaff about 100 times and and went to the gym about 100 more times I started getting stir crazy. There is only so much day time TV you can watch like. You're not special and if you're being honest you'd admit you're only making excuses. You can find the time to contribute if you want. Maybe it means not spending all weekend in the pub. Maybe it means changing things around but you make time like.

I can't wait to hear all the excuses from people who are assigned work. I tell you this much if I'm ever out of work again the first thing I am going to do is asked to be put on assignment.

Alwayson · 29-08-2010 09:53PM

You sound more like an an unemployed lifestyle coach than a bank consultant. I never watch day time TV. I go to the pub once a week. Looking for work is harder than actually working itself. I worked in an area that constantly changes. So I do a lot of research to keep myself fresh. So lots of your assumptions are wrong. Plus if you read my initial post you will see that I have no objection to this scheme.

KeithAFC · 29-08-2010 09:56PM

This just for the republic?

Adyx · 29-08-2010 09:57PM

caseyann wrote: »

Utter rubbish,claiming that.Only thing made this country and economy as it is today is the government.

Are you serious? Certainly they could have done more to minimise the effects, but the fact is that no other Irish government could have done anything to prevent a recession which had a global effect and is at least partly the fault of ordinary Irish people.

OT: I'm unemployed myself and would be in favour of this if it could be tailored somewhat towards gaining experience in your chosen field. For example I'd love to get some IT experience which I've just finished studying in college and the FAS WPP is only open to people who have been unemployed for at least 3 months. There was a perfect WP job advertised recently in Waterford for 40 hours a week in a 3rd level college working in the IT dept. but I'm not eligible.

caseyann · 29-08-2010 10:02PM

letmerollit wrote: »

You read that wrong.

I'm saying this is the first good decision they've made.

Yes, I Fianna Fáil responsible for our downfall, completely.

Sorry

It is a good decision been made and shouted all over the place on here by alot of us and by other party members for years.
They didnt come up with this.
They should have trained those people on the dole long ago and filled the positions that the polish etc.. filled,instead of bringing in immigrant workers.
They are royal screw ups.
They are worried about getting the votes back,and that is only reason they are bothering with something that has been said for years.

Cat Melodeon · 29-08-2010 10:06PM

I have no problems working for dole but I would have serious problems affording childcare if I were to take part in such a scheme. It wouldn't just be for the 19.5 hours in 3 straight shifts - many of the types of work proposed are not regular working hours or are in areas like childcare where the 19.5 hours would most likely be spread across 5 days. Add on travel time to the childminder and then to work and there won't be much change out of €210 per week. If they throw in free childcare (presumably to be done by other work-for-dolers, or 'scum' as AH likes to call them) and maybe it would be a more feasible scheme.

cavedave · 29-08-2010 10:09PM

letmerollit

Degraded? Work is never degrading

4-gate%20to%20Dachau-Work%20makes%20you%20free.jpg

Work for Dole scheme announced

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