13 Jan 2015, 15:56
Issues arising from households where no one works, or where there is under-employment, will be on the agenda of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection tomorrow afternoon.
13 January 2015
Recent indicators point to a high level of households in Ireland with either nobody working, or a family member with very limited access to work. Nearly one quarter of households in Ireland can be described as jobless, compared to a European average of 11 per cent.
Representatives fromt he National Economic and Social Council, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed will be appearing before the Committee.
Chair of the Committee Joanna Tuffy TD says: “While the levels of employment in Ireland have risen as the country has emerged from recession, the numbers of jobless households remains high by EU standards. Evidence suggests the proportion of low work intensity households is a structural problem that predates the current recession and that the problem is particularly severe among single parent households. Furthermore, research reveals that children in jobless households are at risk of inter-generational poverty. Tomorrow’s meeting will provide an opportunity to hear from ICTU, the NESC and the INOU on what they see as the optimum policy responses required to address this worrying long term trend.”
The meeting takes place at 1pm tomorrow Wednesday 14 January 2015 in Committee Room 3, LH 2000. The meeting will be broadcast live on Oireachtas TV (UPC 207, Sky 574 and eVision 504) can be viewed online here.
Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.
Media enquiries to:
Paul Hand,
Communications Unit,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926
paul.hand@oireachtas.ie
Committee Membership
Deputy Joanna Tuffy - Chair
Deputies James Bannon, Ray Butler, Joan Collins, Michael Conaghan, Clare Daly, Brendan Griffin , Jim Daly, Derek Keating, Charlie McConalogue, Jonathan O’Brien, Willie O’Dea, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Brendan Ryan
Senators Jim D'Arcy, Marie Moloney, Mary Moran, Hildegarde Naughten, Marie-Louise O’Donnell, Averil Power