Ógra condemns Joan Burton's comments

Yesterday, an article in the Sunday Independent quoted Joan Burton, Minister for Social Protection in the 26 counties, claiming that young people on social welfare choose it as a “lifestyle choice”. She believes that “what we are getting at the moment is people who come into the system straight after school as a lifestyle choice.” The most pressing question about this statement is; what planet is the Labour minister living on? This country has now the most serious levels of unemployment in a generation. According to the Central Statistics Office the unemployment figures now stand at 14.2%, that is 446,800 people signing on the live register. If Minister Burton feels that there is an abundance of jobs for young people on social welfare, then perhaps she should be given the brief of the Department of Finance and let her get the 446,800 people back to work. In a time of severe economic difficulty social welfare offers a net of protection to those who cannot find full time employment. Those who come straight out of education receive a mere Є100 a week. Basic economic understanding will tell you that Є100 will almost certainly go back into the local economy, therefore keeping someone else in a job and off the live register. If young unemployed people are unable to receive some financial assistance to help them survive then they will have no choice but to leave the country and seek employment elsewhere. If they emigrate they will not be of any benefit to the Irish economy and the current government will only repeat the mistakes of previous governments and encourage a brain drain from this country.

There is very little “lifestyle” to be had on Є100. Minister Burton is looking at a social problem from the wrong end. Instead of asking why there is a higher percentage of people in certain areas who rely on social welfare, or why the poverty gap in growing in Ireland, the Minister has lashed out at young people claiming that they are lazy. Yet when questioned on the issue the Minister was unable to give a figure as to how many young people were abusing the system. It seems that the Labour Minister has inherited the social bigotry of other parties and is failing to provide a real alternative to young people, or simply offer then hope. Ógra condemns Joan Burton's comments and calls on her to do more to aid and assist the unemployed youth of this country.