The Poles were sought because many in Ireland wanted cheap foreign labour and Ireland has an attractive welfare system. Ireland has been a soft target. Whilst of course you have the Irish who cheat the system, Poles can earn more on the benefits than doing a weeks work in Ireland. It’s now time these Eastern Europeans returned home.
By JOHN DRENNAN
Sunday August 05 2012
ONE in four Polish nationals living in Ireland is now receiving the dole, new statistics have revealed, following Judge Mary Devins's controversial remark about social welfare being a "Polish charity".
The extent of the unemployment crisis within the immigrant community in Ireland is revealed in statistics secured by the Sunday Independent, which show that 25 per cent of Polish nationals between the ages of 15 and 64 are on the dole.
The issue of unemployment levels within the immigrant community emerged when, responding to queries in Castlebar District Court about the existence of a Polish charity in Ireland, Judge Devins remarked: "A Polish charity? There is. It's called the social welfare."
The judge was forced to issue two apologies. In hermost recent one, she said: "I unreservedly and without qualification apologise for my off-the-cuff comments at a recent court case. I understand and accept the hurt these comments caused to members of the Polish community."
However, the most up-to- date statistics reveal that the Polish community, who are the largest non-national grouping in the State, are suffering even more heavily than Irish residents from the jobs crisis. Currently, 100,162 Polish immigrants of working age are resident in Ireland and 23,905, or just under a quarter of these, are receiving some form of Jobseeker's Allowance or Benefit.
Significantly, the statistics also reveal that whilst Polish citizens constitute 3.3 per cent of the population aged between 15 and 64, they account for 4.39 per cent of claimants of unemployment schemes that are open to the working population.
It is believed one of the key factors in the rate of unemployment amongst Polish workers, which is slightly higher than that of Irish workers, has been the collapse of the building and manufacturing industry in the economy.
During the height of the boom, the work ethic and skills of Polish workers meant they were actively sought by employers. However, they seem to have been effectively left high and dry.
The statistics reveal that currently 543,961 individuals in the State are getting Jobseeker's Allowance or Benefit, Back to Work Allowance, One-Parent Family Payment or other benefits.
Of the 95,646 people receiving Jobseeker's Benefit, 6,057 or 6.33 per cent of total recipients are Polish. Jobseekers Benefit is paid to individuals who have been in work and earned enough stamps via PRSI payments.
Jobseeker's Allowance, which is means tested, but is also paid to long-term employed individuals whose benefits have run out is currently being paid to 309,885 individuals, 14,051 or 4.53 per cent of which are Polish.
Polish immigrant take-up of the Back to Work Allowance Scheme, which encourages unemployed people (among others) to take up employment is particularly high at 8.7 per cent or 1,044 of the total of 11,955 applicants.
Relatively few Poles, 2.32 per cent or 2,083, are found amongst the 89,735 citizens on One-Parent Allowance, whilst the Polish take-up of other schemes such as Back to Education, Farm Assist and Pre-retirement allowance is even smaller. Currently 36,700 people are receiving such benefits, of which 670 or 1.83 per cent are Poles.
The figures indicate that whilst unemployment levels are relatively high amongst the Polish community, the overall impact on Irish unemployment figures and costs -- 23,905 or 4.39 per cent of the total -- is still peripheral.
- JOHN DRENNAN
Ireland is a Banana Republic for certain.Selection of comments from the article.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/john-drennan/one-in-four-polish-workers-in-country-claiming-dole-3190040.html
"And the judge had to apologise - what rubbish! Ireland face up to the fact that "dole tourism" is now our growth industry."
"Send them home. If they won't contribute to society, they have no place here."
"How can the Sunday Independent publish this, we are led to believe that no immigrants are on the dole.....the immigration industry will be getting ready their challenge to this article"
"25% of Poles unemployed in Ireland. I wonder why they don't go home?? Could Judge Mary Devins be speaking the truth??"
ReplyDelete"Looks like they´re just as corrupt as your politicians."
"These people need to return to Poland."
"Ironic that as recession bites deeper and deeper, native Irish are leaving; yet, people are still coming in, reducing the effective emigration rate but still adding to the wrong end of the queue outside the dole office."
"finally some statistics that prove the woman was correct. Let the immigration debate begin because in Europe and especially Ireland its long overdue"
ReplyDelete"Why are we paying foreigners to remain in our country? Look after our own first."
"So, it appears that Mary Devins's statement was factually correct. Will there be a rush to apologise by her attackers...I doubt it, in their own minds they are ALWAYS correct"
ReplyDeleteJudge Mary devins is a person of the highest honour and respect. She is very good, tolerant and understanding in her job as well. It would notb be an exxageration to sayb that she is the best judge in Ireland.
ReplyDeleteThough she is Mayo and I'm in Kilkenny I heard of her and have followed her career, I don't know her personally so I'm not biased. Yes, The Immigrant Council should apologise to her for as much as threatening her.
I don't see the need to send anybody home. You can read in the National Movement Facebook group that I constantly criticise mass immigration, quoting Thought and Action here and other good sources, and you are all welcome to join us over there.
Meanwhile
ReplyDeletehttp://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0809/1224321805881.html
The Irish Times - Thursday, August 9, 2012
Lithuanian in welfare fraud told to leave State or face jail
BARRY ROCHE Southern Correspondent
A COURT has given a 36-year-old man from Lithuania 48 hours to leave Ireland or face a 10-month jail term after he pleaded guilty to defrauding the social welfare system of more than €5,000 by claiming entitlements while not resident in the State.
Rolandas Undzenas, formerly of the Funshion, River Valley, Mallow, Co Cork, appeared at a special sitting of Mallow District Court after he was arrested by gardaí boarding a flight at Cork Airport bound for Gdansk in Poland.
Undzenas pleaded guilty to two counts of dishonestly deceiving the Irish people by signing on for social welfare payments while not resident within the State of Ireland with the intention of making gain for himself or others.
He admitted committing the offences at the social welfare office at Davis Street, Mallow, on two occasions – May 29th, 2012, and again on June 26th, 2012 – with the fraudulently claimed money totalling €5,600, the court was told.
The case came to light after the Department of Social Protection received a tip-off that Undzenas, who had come to Ireland in 2005 and was working here, was no longer resident in the State.
Gardaí from Mallow arrested Undzenas at Cork Airport on August 1st as he was about to board a flight to Gdansk.
He was brought before a special sitting of Clonakilty District Court.
Judge Tim Lucey remanded Undzenas on bail to appear at a special sitting of Mallow District Court this week where Judge Aingeal Ní Chondúin sentenced him to 10 months in jail on each of the two counts but suspended them on condition he leave the country within 48 hours.
Judge Ní Chondúin, who said that Undzenas’s behaviour in falsely claiming the payments was disgraceful, ordered that he forfeit to the State the €1,100 which gardaí found on him when they arrested him on August 1st.
The case is one of the first to come before the courts on foot of new legislation, introduced last April, which gives powers to social welfare inspectors to work at ports and airports to combat welfare fraud and abuse.