Simon Harris denies ‘punching down’ after promising penalties for long-term unemployed
Irish Tánaiste Simon Harris is facing criticism from opposition parties after suggesting that financial penalties should be increased for long-term unemployed individuals who do not engage with employment services. Harris defended the move as a necessary measure for a country at full employment.
Why it matters
The debate highlights the tension between social welfare policy and government efforts to incentivize labor market participation.
Tánaiste Simon Harris has denied he is “punching down” after promising penalties for those who treat the dole as a “way of life” .
The Fine Gael leader told his party’s ardfheis in Cork at the weekend that the dole is a “safety net, not a way of life”.
“At a time of full employment, it is simply not acceptable for any person to remain on the live register year after year after year.”
Speaking on RTÉ on Sunday, Harris said denied he was punching down on a vulnerable group of long-term unemployed people with his comments, saying that increasing the financial penalty for those who do not engage with employment services is “what taxpayers across this country expect us to do”.
His ardfheis comments drew a sharp response from the Opposition.
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