Call to toughen up on dole applicants not seeking work

DOLE inspectors need to get tough on welfare recipients to make sure they really are trying to find work, a leading international economist has warned.

People claiming unemployment benefits in Britain attended interviews with welfare officials 30 times more frequently than their Irish counterparts, David Grubb said.

They had to prove they were seeking work, attend job interviews set up for them and participate in training courses, while facing the threat of losing benefits if their efforts were not found to be genuine.