Conference tallis::celt

1017.0. "Go West and lose the dole." by MACNAS::JDOOLEY (Go on outa dat,we don't believe ya) Tue Mar 10 1992 11:55

          
    Subject of discussion here is  of migration of the unemployed.
    
    Recently whole families from Dublin moved out of the capital because
    their breadwinners couldn't get enough money in a job to keep the
    family and they were afraid of the drug-infested areas, which are the
    lot of the lower paid Dublin resident. They didn't want to see their
    kids ending up as joy-riders, drug addicts, criminals etc.
    
    They moved to Clare and the West where houses and land are much cheaper
    and pressure on facilities is much less than in Dublin.  They are much
    happier there, out of the human Jungle that is the modern Dublin of
    the poor. They can, among other things avail of such extras as growing
    their own food, cutting their own turf ( a fuel) and can live cheaper
    than in Dublin. Because of rampant emigration from the West to the 
    U.S and elsewhere many of these families were made welcome in houses
    and lands that would otherwise be deserted.
    
    Now the new Minister for Social Welfare has threatened to cut their
    dole because they are " not available for work" .
    
    In a word, he has tacitly admitted that there are hopelessly bad 
    unemployment blackspots in the country by this statement.(ie. in the 
    West.) The affected peoples decision to move says much for their
    chances of getting work in the Capital.(probably not good.).
    
    Do the readers of this conference think it is right for a government
    to force people to live in misery in the slums of an
    expensive,overpopulated,dangerous, capital city when there isn't any 
    chance of these people getting a job there?
    
    I think that anyone with the wit and enterprise to move out of the 
    cities and into the depopulated areas of the countryside should be 
    given full support. It should be borne in mind that low-income farmers
    on small areas of land get assistance here, called "farmers dole".
    City people, who opt to get out of the dangerous environment of the
    poor urban areas and give their children a chance to avoid drugs,joy-
    riding and other crimes are saving the state a fortune and should be
    supported in their efforts, not pilloried. At least they should be
    given equal treatment with the farmers.
    
    It should be noted that it costs the State �65,000 to keep a young
    offender in jail for a year. This could keep a FAMILY on the dole
    for, maybe, ten years.