Burton concerned over tax impact

Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton said today she is "enormously concerned" at the possible impact of new taxes on low-income families.

Speaking at the publication today of book detailing supports and entitlements available to unemployed people, Ms Burton was asked her views on the probability that water taxes and a property tax would be discussed at tomorrow's Cabinet meeting.

"My department would be concerned, and I would be enormously concerned about the impact of any new charge on people on low incomes, because remember there are lots of people on low incomes who are working, as well as people on low incomes on social welfare or who are on pensions."

She had had no sight yet of details of proposed new household charges. "I'm sure that will be discussed in detail tomorrow at Cabinet. Certainly I will be raising those issues," she said.

She was speaking before her publication of the 18th annual Working For Work booklet, compiled by the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU).

Among the areas the booklet outlines are social welfare rates, looking for work, education and training opportunities, tax rates, redundancy information and rent supplement rates.

Robert Lynch, manager of the welfare to work section in the INOU who oversaw the compilation of the 167-page booklet, said some 25,000 copies had been published a month ago.

"We have had hundreds of requests every day since for copies from individuals, organisations, public representatives, and we now have just 2,000 left."

Ms Burton described the publication as "very important and highly accurate", saying that when a person was newly unemployed and "at a loss as to how to pick up the pieces, a book like this gives a pathway to follow. It's not just about social welfare rates. It's about options".

She was particularly concerned about young people leaving education and moving straight into welfare dependency. "One of the things we have to do as a society is to challenge ourselves as to what to do with young men in particular who are not engaged by school and leave and think they are the ones who will get jobs."

The Minister also said there were particular pressures on older people who may find it difficult to find work. "Older workers have experience, reliability and are genuinely very committed workers."

The Working For Work booklet is also available online at inou.ie