Unemployed face further cuts if they refuse jobs or training

Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar plans to crack down on people on social welfare who do not make an effort to get a job or return to education by further cutting their payments.

His stance comes as the minority government faces a backlash for “unfair” and “mean” increases to young unemployed people.

Mr Varadkar, who has already taken a hard-line approach in relation to the long-term unemployed, now wants to increase the penalties for people who do not return to work or up-skill.