Benefits to be cut for those who do not retrain

The Government has yet to decide if there will be a cut-off point beyond which unemployed people will no longer receive state support under the new social welfare system, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has said.

Pathways to Work is to be launched early next week and will include a cut in benefits for anybody who does not take the retraining and education opportunities offered to them.

Mr Quinn, who has worked on the new system with Social Protection Minister Joan Burton, said: “It has yet to be decided if there is to be a cut-off point.”