‘Don’t hit welfare recipients who refuse work schemes’ - Cork councillors

County councillors in Cork have demanded the Government does not penalise social welfare recipients who refuse to participate in the Gateway and JobBridge schemes.

They also want Cork County Council, which has around 300 people engaged or designated for posts under the scheme, to eventually guarantee permanent jobs with the local authority.

Sinn Féin had initially sought to have the council withdraw from the schemes but eventually agreed to a compromise presented by Fianna Fáil to have the Government lift a jobs embargo on councils.