What is Government going to do to help those who have lost their job

Posted on September 24, 2008 at 12:27 PM

Today the Dáil resumed following the summer recess with the economy and job losses top of the agenda. Speaking during Leaders' Questions, the Labour Leader Eamon Gilmore TD asked the Government what new initiatives are being implemented to put people back to work.

"Since [Cowen] became Taoiseach 45, 628 have lost their jobs in this country. That's about 300 a day on average since you became Taoiseach. We are being told that people are losing their jobs so fast now that your department of family and social affairs cannot keep up with the applications for social welfare payments and there is something like 30,000 people who have lost their jobs who a re waiting for their social welfare payments to be processed.

"What have you done since this House last met to find employment for those 45,000 people, can you tell us what new initiatives you or your Govt have taken to put people back to work and to find employment."

Among the jobs which have been lost over the summer include 150 at Swissco, 200 at Cappoquin Chickens, 240 jobs at Boston Scientific, 250 jobs at Howley Engineering, Cork and 250 jobs lost at Tyco Sensormatic in Cork.

There are also reports that the HSE is considering shedding up top 1,800 jobs while company liquidations rose by 71 per cent in the first half of the year. This past August there were 247,384 people on the live register, 73,178 more people than the same time in 2007 and 45,628 more than when Cowen was elected Taoiseach in May.

What do you think the Government should do to help those who have lost their jobs are or at risk of losing their jobs. Are there any initiatives that you think the Government should implement? Let us know in the comments below.

The full transcript of today's debate will be available later on the Oireachtas website.

Tagged with Finance • joblosses