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# Social Welfare
Tougher sanctions on way for jobseekers
The Government is looking at ways to impose tougher penalty sanctions on jobseekers who do not take advantage of all employment opportunities.
JOBSEEKERS ARE TO face tougher penalty sanctions if they do not take advantage of every employment opportunity available to them.
Under the latest Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Troika and the Irish Government, the Department of Social Protection said it is to take steps to “strengthen activation and training policies to help jobseekers get back to work”.
An evaluation is to be carried out to question if the long-term unemployed have “adequate incentives and skills” to return to the workplace.
The Government said it also wants to increase the “frequency and effectiveness” of meetings and interviews with jobseekers.
It added that sanctions will be imposed on those who do not take advantage of job search, training and employment opportunities.
Plans will be put into action once external evaluations – looking at the data and reporting systems required to enable evaluation and training policies – are complete.
More: Latest memorandum reveals more austerity ahead in Budget 2013>
