A NORTHSIDE man, who has become unemployed for the first time since leaving school 10 years ago, has spoken out about the lengthening dole queues in his area. 

David Ronan, from Kilbarrack, told Northside People he is out of a job for the first time since he left school at 15 and is finding it very difficult to adjust.
“I left school just after my Junior Cert and took a job as a kitchen porter before training to become a plumber,” he stated.

“I have never been out of work since then and I’m 25 now, but since this slowdown in the economy work just hasn’t been there anymore.

“It’s hard to adjust to life without a job. I have a three-year-old child and a baby on the way. I really never expected that I would end up out of work. Social Welfare is inadequate, big time. I would be willing to take any jobs at all at this stage, stacking shelves or whatever, but most places say I am over-qualified. I never knew this would happen so I just wasn’t prepared. It’s hard to know what to do now.”

Mr Ronan has ruled out emigrating to find work, as he is starting a family and wants to stay close to his parents.

“I’ve been signing on at the Social Welfare office in Kilbarrack since May and in the last few weeks I’ve noticed more and more young people joining the queue,” he said. People I used to work with are showing up all the time now; lads from building sites who would be considered skilled workers.”

Mr Ronan said there just isn’t any work for them all of a sudden. 
“It’s a bit of a shock to the system so nobody knows what to do,” he added.
“Personally, I don’t see the Government doing anything to solve this situation.”
The Dublin North East area has experienced a worrying rise in unemployment in recent months with dole queues in areas like Kilbarrack heaving with young skilled workers.
Donaghmede ward councillor Killian Forde (SF) said the Government needed to bring in measures to create employment and should not punish communities by cutting back public services.
"The latest figures show that the number of people signing on at Kilbarrack Social Welfare Centre jumped by over 700 between August 2007 and August 2008,” stated Cllr Forde.
“In the same period, the numbers signing on in Coolock went up by over 1,000.
“That's an increase of over 1,700 in the number unemployed in Dublin North East.
Cllr Forde said many of those now signing on have been recently laid off from the construction industry.
“Many are young men who left school before Leaving Cert and went straight to work in construction,” he stated.
“Now they find themselves under-educated, unemployed and, in many cases, striving to maintain young families and mortgages.”
Cllr Forde has called for effective action by the Government to create employment and fund the local authorities to build more social and affordable housing.
“This would help address both the slump in the construction industry and the rise in unemployment,” he added.
“Attempts to cut public services such as health and education should be strongly opposed, as they will hit the most vulnerable worst."
As part of a campaign to help people get back to work, the Department of Social and Family Affairs has launched a new booklet entitled 'Working for Work'.
Around 30,000 copies of the booklet are to be distributed all over the country by the Irish National Organisation for the Unemployed (INOU).
The publication draws together information from a wide variety of service providers and will serve as a valuable one-stop-shop for unemployed people who want to know what their entitlements are and what supports are available to them.
The Department of Social and Family Affairs is also providing more than e172,000 in funding this year to the INOU towards the cost of maintaining and developing their welfare rights and information unit.
Each of the department's 130 local and branch offices has staff dedicated to providing information and explaining supports and services to people who visit them.
Copies of 'Working for Work' are available on the INOU's website www.inou.ie

Email (will not be published)

Name

Title

Comment
 remaining characters

Post