Stop crucifying the victims

It seems that Social Protection Minister Joan Burton has kicked off the new year in the same vein as she left off in 2011, issuing statements and plans which imply widespread welfare fraud.

Your report that “a time limit for social welfare recipients“ is being considered is the latest hare-brained scheme which is clearly just another swipe at those forced onto the unemployment register.

There is no doubt that one of the most socially corrosive crimes is fraud of all kinds, and welfare fraud, such as it is, is no different. The sad truth of the matter is, however, that we in Ireland have a very high tolerance for it and this is particularly the case when the fraud is perpetrated by those at the top end of the socio-economic ladder who are responsible for the vast majority of it by far. That tolerance also noticeably reduces whenever those on the lower parts of the same ladder are thought to be dipping their fingers.

The latest plan seems to blithely ignore the fact that while we have currently 1.8m jobs, the workforce is 2.3m, getting on for half a million of a mismatch. Burton should come up with a few constructive meaningful proposals that we as a society should be discussing. The obvious one that needs to be looked at seriously again is a far-reaching job sharing scheme. Those persons currently unemployed have an entitlement to work, that entitlement is at the core of the social contract. It should be possible to create an environment in which such job sharing is possible and, given the many benefits it offers, it is surprising that the minister and her advisors have yet to consider it.

Another initiative that the minister might consider is the imposition of fines on ministers for failure to address the grave social ill that is unemployment. Each minister should suffer an automatic fine for each person still full time unemployed at the end of each year.

It is time to stop trying to hammer square pegs into round holes to placate the money men and recognise that citizens have a right to a job and that government should be working to vindicate that right. The vulgar tendency to crucify the victim must end.

Jim O’Sullivan

Rathedmond

Sligo