THERE was no support among European social welfare ministers for cuts in benefits, the Social Affairs Commissioner, Mr Padraig Flynn, said yesterday at a meeting of social welfare ministers at Dublin Castle.
However, there was agreement that "there should be a reward for work and it should be better than what you are getting if you are unemployed and drawing off the social welfare system".
Ireland and the UK were adopting a different approach from other member- states to ensure an adequate income for people at work, the Minister for Social Welfare, Mr De Rossa, said. Ireland and Britain also allowed people to retain some benefits for a period after they started working.
Both Mr Flynn and Mr De Rossa said there was a need to provide greater security for part-time and contract workers "atypical" workers in European jargon.
Mr De Rossa said the question of pension provision for part-time and contract workers had been raised by a number of ministers. He hoped to bring forward proposals to deal with the Irish situation following a report by the Pensions Board.