Paying the price for unemployment

THE Royal Irish Academy is a publicly-funded body.

I recently tendered for typesetting work from the academy, as I have done every year for the past eight years.

In contrast to the previous eight years my tender was unsuccessful on this occasion.

No problem: you win some, you lose some. However, the successful tender for these projects is located in India.

Again no problem, if the work can be done for less in India, they surely should get that work — this is the rule of the globalised market economy which we subscribe to.

However, along with other business losses and the general economic climate, this setback places me in a position where, at 56, I am no longer able to continue in self-employment as I have done for the past 20 years.

I am going to have to go the state and ask them to pay me unemployment benefit.

Is this the same state that offers the Academy grants to fund its excellent work?

I think it probably is.

The state and the Oireachtas: are these not you and I? Is it not our money that is funding these public bodies?

If I am compelled to “sign on”, who is paying for that? It is not some faceless nobody, but my fellow pinned-to-the-collar friends and neighbours.

I do not want to ask my neighbours to pay for my unemployment. I would like to ask my new government: is the cheapest price really the cheapest?

Brendan Lyons

Skibbereen

Co Cork