Hanafin ‘patting herself on the back’ over welfare figures
Dole payments rose from €1.4 billion in 2007 to €2bn in 2008, according to the report, which shows a massive 25% rise in people getting financial support from the State.
At least 1.8 million people were on welfare in 2008 – a rise from 1.2 million in 2007, according to the Information on Social Welfare Services for 2008. This includes children’s allowance, the State pension and the 236,000 on the dole last year.
The report shows that social welfare made up a third of all State spending last year. At €17.8bn, it represented a 15% increase from 2007.
The Social and Family Affairs Minister said the figures “show the Government’s commitment to caring and supporting our citizens in participating in society at all levels. From birth through life stages to death, our system of social supports administered by the department helps over 42% of the population at any one time”.
She said: “Behind each and every one of these statistics is a real person or family, which makes it all the more important for us to see that delivering our service is not just about numbers. The work of the Department of Social and Family Affairs affects the lives and well-being of a huge proportion of our population, particularly in these challenging times.”
Following her statement, FG accused the minister of indulging in self-congratulation instead of “setting out plans to reform a creaking system that is not fit for purpose”.
Social affairs spokeswoman Olwyn Enright said: “The current social welfare system hasn’t adapted to deal with the changing needs. It offers little assistance to people who want to rejoin the workforce.”
She said: “Minister Hanafin should be setting herself clear priorities, instead of patting herself on the back.”
Ms Enright called on the minister to “address the poverty traps that make it preferable for people to stay on social welfare rather than returning to work or education”.
