This is one of those areas that seems obvious and makes sense to me. The dole in Ireland is a living. It is enough to live on and is designed to keep people in the basic needs. And although it isn't PC to say it, it is a lifestyle choice for some. Some people do not work, have never worked and will never work - by choice. They do quite nicely. Some even have cars and holidays. Housing is provided for many and lots of other supports. Living on the dole in Ireland - for some (not all) does them very nicely thank you! And much more nicely for example than the £80 or so you would get in the North of Ireland.
Just as there are those arguing that it would be a crime not to pair empty houses with those in need of housing; how can it be any different to suggest pairing people with no work, with work that needs to be done?
And yes I know all the arguments about the fact that this system could be abused - so I would suggest that none of this work could be carried out for the private sector. Only public authorities or those dealing in the social economy i.e. Partnerships, CDP's, Family Resource Centres etc. etc. would be able to identify work to be done and apply for workers to carry it out. If any one of those workers subsequently got a job in the private sector then they could leave with no notice.
People should also be given a choice and not merely have to accept the first 'job' that comes up. They should be consuted about their talents and interests. There should also be sensitivity about the type of work that is undertaken and thought should be given to peoples skill levels and talents.
Local authorities and community projects are under huge funding pressures and staffing levels being reduced (hugely in some cases), with we keep being told, more cuts to come. Many people who would love something to do all day long are currently on the dole - many because of one reason or other, are unlikely to find work again or at least in the near future. Some simply have no work ethic and need to be introduced to it.
Meanwhile we have elderly people who will never be able to afford it, needing to have some work done in their homes or gardens. We have community centres not being able to afford to get the place redecorated or perhaps improve the landscaping. You have community projects with ideas to run fantastic programmes but not enough staff to carry them out; there are people who need to learn to read & write; there are people who would love to do a gardening course; there are children who need help with homework or stories to be told to them; art to be taught, languages to be learned! There are an hundred million things that people could, with dignity, be asked to spend their time doing. Many would welcome it as the solution to a life without work or stimulation or mixing with other adults.
It's time we started making a few common sense decisions in this country. This, I contend, would be one of them.
3 comments:
I think this is a great idea there is plenty of things that people on the dole could do to improve the country for everyone. Why should tax payers fork out hard earned cash and get nothing in return.
I think this is a very good idea. I'm in my late twenties and I have never been on the dole (part of the time i was ineligible as I was a student but at all other times i was either working or had to survive somehow without the dole).
While i agree that the dole should be there as a support mechanism especially with so many people with families out of work with the recession, I also know that a lot of my friends live comfortably on the dole and have no intention of going out to look for a job. Why should they? They get their dole, medical card and rent allowance all handed to them.
I think they should be made to work: office work, admin work even picking up rubbish. There are plenty of jobs that need doing at the moment in the country that would improve all our lives but there is no money to pay people to do them. I don't think it unresonable that people should have to give something back, even if it's only 10-20 hours a week painting or cleaning up some part of the city.
It will give people a reason to get up in the morning, will give them something to put on their CV, will help make the country a better place for everyone, and in the case of some people might give them the motivation to get up off their backside and go out and look for a job.
There is plenty of work to be got for everyone if they want it. The Government should set up CE schemes for those that are out of work all over the country, and get the people working. It might also be a way of catching some of those working and signing as well. If a person was to refuse a place on one of these schemes without a very good reason, their Dole could be cut or taken away all together.
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