Ireland's entitlement culture (98)

Ross30: The government cut social welfare in last Decembers budget by 4%, there wasn't uproar, secondly rents have fallen by 25% in the last two years, many unemployed people have sucessfully renegtiated their rents with their landlords or mortgages with their banks.

Pensioners don't live on the breadline they don't have any mortgages to worry about, they also get free tv licenses, free bus travel North and South, subsidized heating bills, pensioners aren't going to go under if their weekly benefits are cut by €40 over a two period, secondly many pensioners are in receipt of pensions that they got in their previous jobs, ie public sector pensions at 50% of their salaries, also very generous defined benefit pensions if they worked in the private sector, a friend of my mam's worked in AIB (not Anglo) and not only does he get a state peniosn he also gets a very generous defined benefit pension tht is two thirds of his final salary.

A lot of unemployed single parents have it very handy also especially if they are living in subsidized council houses, they are better off not working instead of working.

starrysky: my mother was a single mother and no way was she better off, school cost a fortune for two kids , uniforms cost an obsolute fortune and the back to school allowence doesnt cover uniforms, as for books and equipment , thats another couple of hundred if not more, then u have costs through out the year.

then heres feeding and clothings kids, as well as paying bills and keeping a house and herself

as for pensioners not all pensioners are getting second pensions. they worked hard all their lives its so wrong to take money off them .

you need to experience this to see it for your self. statistics are all well and good but in reality its sooo much differnet

Ross30: My auntie was a single mother from when her two kids were 7 and 10 in England, she went out and worked FULL TIME believing that it would set a better example to her two children, she had very little family support, because she went out and worked full time instead of been reliant on the British state her two children gained a strong work ethic and are now in very sucessful professional careers.

I agree not all pensioners had pensions in their previous jobs but I'm sure plenty of them had savings, the older generation traditionally were more prident as regards saving when compared to the Celtic cubs generation, you can't let emotional sentiment get in the way of hard nosed financial reality.

One queestion would you prfer more humane government cuts in social welfare and pensions ten a hatchet job from the ECB or the IMF, I certainly know what I'd regard as the lesser of two evils?

starrysky: thats england , its different.

the government we have at the moment arent doing a great job as it is

Ross30: Why is a different, by the way that was in the late 70's when my Aunt's marriage broke up, I guess the older generation had different attitudes as regards setting a good example to their children when their marriages broke down.

You didn't answer my question about having to choose between government cuts or the Ecb or even worse the IMF?

Ross30: During the Celtic Tiger there were still over 100,000 lazy people who never got off their arses to work, also during the celtic tiger from 2000 till 2008 welfare rates increased by 101% with a real time increase of 67% after adjusting for inflation, is it any wonder why there is no incentive for people with kids to go out and work in low paid or medium paid jobs.

From 1197 till 2009 child benefit increased by over 300%, pensions increased over 120% from 1997 till 2009, the OAP was €99.04 per week in 1997 it is now over €230 per week, a pensioner shouldn't be getting more than €190 per week.My point is that there is now an epidemic welfare entitlement culture in Ireland that will be very difficult to get rid of when Ireland comes out of recession.

Therefore the following proposals need to be implemented to generate a culture of personal responsibility amongst Irish people.

1)Cut the dole to between €150-155 per week in the next three budgets.
2)Cut the OAP to €190 per week over the next two budgets. A pensioner doesn't need €230 per week.
3) Cut child benefit to €100 per month for the first child.
4) When the youngest child reaches five stop giving the one parent family parent, currently it is 22 which is absolutely ridicoulous.
Also any future welfare increases from 2015 onwards should only be increased in line with inflation or the consumer price index, not above the rate of inflation. The celtic tioger welfare junkies did very well during the celtic tiger.

starrysky: k???

england is way cheaper than here.

are you saying my mother was setting a bad example by not working ??? what was she going to do with a 3 yr old and a 9 yr old , let us at home while she worked???

are you also implying that me n my brother wont be successful because our mother didnt work??? my mother was in her 30s with two small chldren , it wasnt about setting a good example , it was about keeping us fed and a roof over our heads. and if social benifits where the way to do it so be it. i know alot of people who have come from familys where there parents have worked and they also are on the dole. its got nothing to do with a benefits culture.

Ross30: In the late 70's England was more expensive than Ireland, also I work with someone who is a single mother with two young kids aged 4 and 7 so yes adversity can be overcome.

I never stated about your own family, I'm stating that is statistically more likely that children whi have single parents who work are more likely to be sucessful in life than children of single parents who don't work, look at the continuous welfare sponging that goes on amongst even three generations of families in some working class areas.

Also In greece and Italy single parents are legallky obliged to live at home with their own parents, that has resulted in more single parents in employment, I believe that single parents under 25 should live at home with their own parents, that can be extended to 30 after a five year trial period with the first policy that i've just advocated. There is not a 60% difference in the cost of living between Ireland and Britain its coming down to 20% now with the cost of living having fallen 8% in Ireland in the last 2 years as cmpared to a 2% increase in the cost of living in Britain in the last couple of years.

starrysky: again thats all staticts , in reality its different , yes some familys go on for generations on the dole , but some dont.

and i cant imagine our government making single parents live with their parents , we have enough of a nanny state as it is.

this is all so easy for you to say.

from your profile i see you dont have kids, maybe if you did you would see how exspensive and difficult it is to be a single parent of any gender.

i personally have the greatest respet for single parents and admire them. i also know that alot of single parents would love to work , but they cant.