# Live Register: How to get people back to work



## Welfarite

The LR is now at its [broken link removed]. Many of those signing on have never had to rely on SW payments to live on in their lives and there will be a lot of pain if they don't get back to work soon. What measures should be taken to make this happen in the next budget? 

Easier access to the Back to Education scheme so that people can better their qualifications and therefore increase their chances of work would be one.

Easier access to Back toWork Scheme so that people could start their own enterprises perhaps?

Any other radical ideas out there?


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## Towger

Welfarite said:


> Any other radical ideas out there?


 
Dramatically Reduce/Stop their SW payments after a fixed length of time and you will soon see them going back to work.  Seriously, there are many countries which work on this principle.


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## Green

Welfarite said:


> Any other radical ideas out there?


 
I applaud the sentiment of your thread but unfortunately we dont have a history of trying radical ideas in this country, lets face it when was the last time we changed Government?


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## ClubMan

jaybird said:


> Like here you mean? We already do that!


For those who qualify through _PRSI _social insurance premium payments previously deducted from their salary, _Jobseeker's Benefit _is paid for a limited period of time after which they can apply for means test _Jobseeker's Allowance_. Perhaps _Towger _would reduce the relevant periods to below what they are right now? _Towger _seems to be looking at the stick options while _Welfarite _seems to be looking at the carrot options...


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## dazza21ie

YOBR said:


> I applaud the sentiment of your thread but unfortunately we dont have a history of trying radical ideas in this country, lets face it when was the last time we changed Government?


 
When was the last time we had an opposition worth changing for!

The live register rises every summer due to college students signing on. The summer work scheme was done away with during the last slowdown and should be re-introduced to get the students off the live register.


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## Berni

dazza21ie said:


> The live register rises every summer due to college students signing on. The summer work scheme was done away with during the last slowdown and should be re-introduced to get the students off the live register.


 
Students can only sign on if they qualify for Jobseekers Benefit. This is based on their paid contributions, the same as anyone else. They cannot claim the means tested Allowance.

The register goes up in the summer because large numbers of people who work in schools are laid off for the summer - temp teachers, cleaners, school wardens etc.


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## GOBSTOPPER

I Regularly advertise on the FAS website for café assistants and receive alot of C.V.'s but very very little Irish nationals . I'm afraid alot of young Irish adults are just very picky in what jobs they will consider and the dole is just too cushy for them. The jobs I advertise are from 8.65 per hour to 12.50 per hour and a full working week .Is the dole really a better option for them ? every time I'm looking for a new assistant it miffs me where all the Irish kids are !


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## runner

Maybe one to one job sharing between unemployed and public servants.
Whoever is doing the better job after 6 months keeps it!


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## ailbhe

I recently became a single parent. I went to the social welfare officer and was told I would receive Family Income Supplement and a medical card.

So wages & FIS works out at just under 2000 per month. Less creche and rent = 700 per month to feed and clothe my child, pay bills etc. Managable.

If I gave up full time work I would receive One Parent Family Allowance, FIS, Medical card, Some rent allowance and I could work around creche therefore eliminating creche costs. I worked out that I could come out with 222 OPFA , 147 wages, 18 fuel allowance and 61 FIS per week. I don't know what the minimum rent allowance is when you are working (it was €50 about 5 years ago and after that it was taken off you euro for euro) ao I haven't included rent allowance. But that works out at approx 1940 per month. Less rent and part time creche for summer (no creche in winter) I would be left with approx 900 per month. (all figures are taken from the citizens info website but it's confusing so I may be incorrect)

So, I would be better off going part time. If the system continues to operate in this manner then no wonder people can't afford to work.

I decided to stay in my full time job and see how I managed as I have no desire to give up work. But I can totally understand why people would give up work and find it difficult to return.


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## Welfarite

Towger said:


> Dramatically Reduce/Stop their SW payments after a fixed length of time and you will soon see them going back to work. Seriously, there are many countries which work on this principle.


 
yes, but other countries who implement this have proper training compulsory programmes in place. Our system has FAS. Need I say more...



runner said:


> Maybe one to one job sharing between unemployed and public servants.
> Whoever is doing the better job after 6 months keeps it!


 

I like it!


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## Welfarite

ailbhe said:


> I recently became a single parent. I went to the social welfare officer and was told I would receive Family Income Supplement and a medical card.
> 
> So wages & FIS works out at just under 2000 per month. Less creche and rent = 700 per month to feed and clothe my child, pay bills etc. Managable.
> 
> If I gave up full time work I would receive One Parent Family Allowance, FIS, Medical card, Some rent allowance and I could work around creche therefore eliminating creche costs. I worked out that I could come out with 222 OPFA , 147 wages, 18 fuel allowance and 61 FIS per week. I don't know what the minimum rent allowance is when you are working (it was €50 about 5 years ago and after that it was taken off you euro for euro) ao I haven't included rent allowance. But that works out at approx 1940 per month. Less rent and part time creche for summer (no creche in winter) I would be left with approx 900 per month. (all figures are taken from the citizens info website but it's confusing so I may be incorrect)
> 
> So, I would be better off going part time. If the system continues to operate in this manner then no wonder people can't afford to work.
> 
> I decided to stay in my full time job and see how I managed as I have no desire to give up work. But I can totally understand why people would give up work and find it difficult to return.


 
Maybe what we need is a graduated payment on One-parent Family Scheme, where the person was required to work so many hours per week after the child(ren) reached a certain age (say school age), gradually building up to full-time work when a child got older? I think the late Seamus Brennan mooted this when he was SW minister?


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## ailbhe

Welfarite said:


> yes, but other countries who implement this have proper training compulsory programmes in place. Our system has FAS. Need I say more...


 

I started a FAS course many moons ago when I was pregnant and left college. 525 points in my leaving certificate and they stuck me in a "self development" course which was the most demeaning experience of my life. They don't seem to realise that just because you are unemployed does not mean you necessarily have a poor education. There don't seem to be any "levels" of courses. All seem to be a bit geared towards people who may not have done well in school the first time around.



Welfarite said:


> Maybe what we need is a graduated payment on One-parent Family Scheme, where the person was required to work so many hours per week after the child(ren) reached a certain age (say school age), gradually building up to full-time work when a child got older? I think the late Seamus Brennan mooted this when he was SW minister?


 
I do think this is a good idea as realistically, when you go back to work initially you will be on minimum wage. The back to work scheme is a good one though I think the drop in the second year and 3rd year is too extreme as it will take longer than that to get into a position (via promotion or experience) to earn enough to maintain a standard of living. Then taking creche into account. I am in a rural area and pay €350 for after school care and almost €600 for care during th summer. No allowances are made for the increased costs in the summer if a single parent is working full time.


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## Klesser

I think FAS should get more funding and better courses.  I would love to go back to college (got pregnant first time round) but full-time is not an option and part-time are very expensive.  Also there is no public transport that would get me to the nearest colleges.  The VEC in my area is terrible and it seems everything is focused on child care.  Child care is such a low paid job and I would hate it so a choice between the dole or that I no which I would choose.


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## Welfarite

Klesser said:


> I think FAS should get more funding and better courses.


 

have a look at this before you give them a bigger budget


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## RainyDay

runner said:


> Maybe one to one job sharing between unemployed and public servants.
> Whoever is doing the better job after 6 months keeps it!



Why limit this to public servants? Why not implement this proposal in every workplace - the banks, the shops, the factories and let's not forget your workplace too?


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## D8Lady

Back to the original question:
- Remove the 6 month wait time before you can do a FAS course.
Example: If redundancy is looming, be able to plan next steps for upskilling so that there is no gap between job and training. 

- Effective, flexible, tax deducatable childcare. This affects all parents, not just women. There may be jobs out there but many can't take them up because of childcare committments. 

- Someone could set up an employment agency for all of the building trades. All those domestic jobs that could not have been done during the boom still need doin'. The problem of reliability (will call on Tuesday, maybe!) and quality of work and cash payments to be properly addressed.

- Broadband roll out to be put on top of infrastructure to do list. Example: We used to have a very promising software industry here but lack of political/telecom will has seriously affected out ability to compete.

That's just a few ... I'm sure people have many more.
D8L


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## RoyRover

Eliminate the minimum wage and limit the dole to €80 per week. You'll soon see people getting back into the workplace.


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## sustanon

Sounds like State Run Creches are in order. Keeps public servants in gainful employment, alleviates the massive strain childcare puts on working people. You have free education, why not free childcare.


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## donee

this thread was started on the 16/7/2008 is this not a more damning inditment of all politicians that it is as relevant a thread now more than ever. that said i think more acess to the back to work scheme where people wouuld still have access to smaller amounts of SW until they get any new business's up and running, but it should be linked to how much the business is turning over rather than a 2 or 3 year timescale.
and there should also be a change in so as people who are or become self employed and have paid their PRSI contributions etc should get some form of state help if their business's fail. 
maybe a change to our draconian bankrupcy laws should also be looked at because these are now being looked on as a deterrant to starting up in Ireland now.


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## Guest105

RoyRover said:


> Eliminate the minimum wage and limit the dole to €80 per week. You'll soon see people getting back into the workplace.


 

There are hundreds of thousands of people thrown on the scrapheap because of government incompetancies, most of these people didn't voluntarily give up their jobs.    They are no jobs out there perhaps if you know of any you could let people know.

Your comments are ill warranted to say the least.  Your obviously have no idea the pain people are going through and the desperation that is out there in the wider community.


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