County Wexford Sinn Féin elected representative Cllr Anthony Kelly has said that the latest state unemployment figures show that we are experiencing a pandemic of joblessness, and unless positive and decisive action is taken now, we will lose our chance of economic recovery. The Wexford town councillor has demanded that the new coalition puts an emergency job creation programme into action immediately.
Cllr Kelly said;
“A few months ago, when Fianna Fail were busy cutting state benefits and the minimum wage, and introducing the Universal Social Charge on budget day, they promised us that unemployment would stabilise at 13.2%. Today it stands at 14.6%, and is rising. 7.3% of our work force is now long term unemployed. Our labour force is shrinking. In the last quarter alone, we lost 28,000 workers. 28.8% of under 25s are unemployed. Is it any wonder that thousands of our young people are leaving the country at that rate? The most troublesome statistic is this. Neither the last government nor the current one have taken any positive steps to tackle this crisis. Michael Noonan would prefer to talk to EU leaders about bank debt than tackle Ireland’s unemployment pandemic.”
“Given how serious the situation is, the fact that the jobs plan has been kicked down the road in the Programme for Government for 100 days is outrageous. We have half a million citizens already inflicted by this deadly pandemic, and many more worried that they will be in the next wave of victims. What does our new government do? They review. Review? Either they have a plan for job creation or they don’t. Reviews won’t take people off the dole queues. Reviews won’t stop our young people from emigrating to find work. Reviews won’t tackle the obvious social and economic damage that long term unemployment inflicts upon an Irish family. This government must implement a progressive job creation programme now, or else move out of the way and let a new government that will in.”
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