Cork South Central Fine Gael Senator Jerry Buttimer has today said that although the numbers on the live register appear to have stagnated, they are hiding the real problems facing Irish Society.
“Fianna Fáil can claim that unemployment has stabalised all they want, but this is not the reality of the situation. The reason why the numbers on the live register appear to be stagnating, is because the scourge of emigration is back to haunt us once again. The second reason is that people’s entitlements have run out, and many have been refused jobs seekers allowance.”
“Fianna Fáil wants to continue to ignore the realities of what s going on in the society that they have created. There are people in Cork who have been unemployed for a long period of time; they have been offered no hope and no plan by this government.”
“Many people have given up on Ireland and have decided to emigrate, to the four corners of the world. This should not be the case, government needs to step in and offer Cork people a strategic plan that is visionary and that offers hope.”
“The second issue; is even more worrying, when people have run out of their job seekers benefit, they must apply for job seekers allowance, which is means tested. Unfortunately a huge amount of people are being refused this allowance, due to their spouse’s income or other reasons, such as being asset rich.”
“This is a time for action, and we need a stimulus in our economy. We have a government that is deluded and can’t see the realities of what is happening in our economy and our society. I call on the government to adopt Fine Gael economic stimulus package NewERA, which will create 105,000 new jobs, in new sectors by 2013.”