The Irish state's The War on Youth

national | education | news report

Friday July 10, 2009 10:17

by Vincent O'Malley - WSM - WS 110

wsm_ireland at yahoo dot com

On RTE news on 18/5/09, Mary Hanafin stated, in her usual Orwellian fashion, that the Department of Social and Family Affairs (DSFA) had now provided a financial incentive to encourage those under 20 to go into training or education. This ’financial incentive’ involved cutting the dole to €100 per week for new claimants under the age of 20.

The state considers that €204.30 per week is the basic minimum income for a single adult to survive. If you are applying for a social assistance payment or a medical card and are currently in receipt of an income less than that, the DSFA or the HSE will usually presume that you have another undeclared income or means of support; and refuse you a payment. So, those under 20, who can fight, and possibly die, for their country, are not deemed worthy of the basics of survival.

This attack is just the latest in a spate of attacks on young people and services that cater for them. Child benefit has been halved for those aged 18 and still in full-time education (so much for providing a ‘financial incentive’ to stay in education!).

Secondary Schools that had been approved to run the Applied Leaving Certificate for the upcoming academic year have now been told by the Department of Education that they will not be funded to do so. Many of those who had hoped to do the Applied Leaving Certificate will flounder or drop out all together, most likely eventually ending up on the dole, and thus we are back to square one in the problem that Hanafin is allegedly trying to solve.

As well as the other well-documented education cuts at primary and secondary level, there have also been cuts in funding for the very courses that Mary Hanafin wants the under 20s to attend. The director of the National Youth Council, Mary Cunningham, has outlined how some of these courses had been cut from six months to four weeks and would lead to low-grade qualifications. Furthermore, waiting times to get into FAS courses have ballooned. A further report on 26/5/09 outlined the funding crisis affecting youth centres, which may have to close as a result.

In response to this and other cuts, some of which will also affect young people, the SIPTU community branch organised a march of 2,000 people to the Department of Finance on 3/6/09, with many community sector workers walking off the job to take part. One immediate result was some concessions in funding FAS schemes. More of this type of agitation is required if the assault on youth by the generation ahead of them in Leinster House is to be successfully resisted.

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Comments (2 of 2)

disgusted

by paul o toole

Fri Jul 10, 2009 20:44

Angry dosent come close.
I propose that we lobby politicians to impose a 'Maximum Wage', for the wealthy. Say 10 million or 20 million...the rest could be taxed at the rate of 100% per individulal,
Reel in the obscenely rich like Bono, U2, O'Reiley, O'Learey, Sutherland, etc..... Any earners in the 'extreme' range could have their passports removed if they dont comply, sort of a forced taxation that the rest of us must comply to.

Le Chéile Saor Intend to Oppose Dole Cuts!

by Le Chéile Saor[P.R.O] - Le Chéile Saor

Fri Jul 10, 2009 17:36

No Dole Cuts!
Press Release/Preas Raiteas
Le Chéile Saor
Republican Socialism Today
www.lecheilesaor.webs.com

We are releasing this statement in response to the latest proposal by the 26 county administration at Leinster house to cut dole payments for the 500,000 or so unemployed citizens within the 26 county free state. Le Cheile Saor feel outraged at this plan, as do the majority of citizens who are currently unemployed. The plans by the 26 county government are to reduce their welfare budget by 1.5 million over the next twelve months. We ask why target the most vulnerable to make savings when family’s across the island are struggling to make rent and mortgage payments. We ask the ministers with their expensive cars and cushy wages to try and make ends meet on €204.30 a week with mouths to feed and bills stacked up, this is disgraceful on their part and should be ashamed of themselves. Le Chéile Saor also want to point out that with the pressures of living through this recession, we are worried suicide cases will soar with family’s under immense pressure to pay off stacked up bills. The 26 county free state has the second highest unemployment rate in Europe at 12%, not something they should be proud of. Le Chéile Saor intend to oppose these proposals to the best of our ability and highlight to the public and especially those in Leinster house that this is totally unacceptable.

Statement Ends.

Damien Dillon
Le Chéile Saor
P.R.O
10/07/2009.

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The Irish state's The War on Youth

Comments (2 of 2)