TD: ‘Allow jobless to volunteer in Third World’

Unemployed Irish people should be able to work in underdeveloped countries and retain their unemployment payments from the State, Dáil Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett told fellow deputies from other EU member states.

The veteran Fine Gael politician’s suggestion received widespread support from the gathering, as did his proposal that national parliaments discuss EU matters on one day each month and cooperate more closely.

“NGOs talk about the money we give the Third World in aid, but if you do not have money you have people. If some of the unemployed architects, engineers and tradespeople were willing to volunteer to work for a time using their skills and talents to help people in these countries, they could do so much, and the State would continue to pay them their benefits,” he said.