Tánaiste's unemployment comments 'surprising' - rep group

Updated / Monday, 9 Nov 2026 09:19

The Director of the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed, Brid O'Brien, has said it was surprising to hear the Tánaiste talk about penalties for unemployed people who do not engage with plans to help them get back to work.

Tánaiste Simon Harris told the Fine Gael ard fheis in Cork, that it was not acceptable for people to be out of work at a time of full employment, adding that "the dole is a safety net, not a way of life".

Mr Harris said: "At a time of full employment, it is simply not acceptable for any person to remain on the Live Register year after year after year."

"We need a renewed focus on intensive engagement with the long-term unemployed - tackling barriers, creating opportunities and getting people into work.

"And let me be clear, for those who refuse to engage, there will be penalties."

However, Ms O'Brien said anyone who is unaware of the system might not realise these penalties already exist - and they are due to increase in January.

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Watch: Tánaiste pledges 'penalties' for those avoiding back-to-work services

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Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland programme, Ms O'Brien said that the most recent figures show over 50,000 people have been on the live register for more than a year, including approximately 47,000 people receiving jobseeker's allowance.

However some of that cohort could be working, Ms O'Brien added, but it may be part-time work.

"The reality is, full employment is sort [of] an economics term. So when our employment rate drops below 5%, we're described as having full employment.

"That does not mean there's a job out there for everybody who's looking for a job, and there are an awful lot of people who are seeking employment who find it very difficult to find work," explained Ms O'Brien.

She said she would like the Government to give a strong commitment to working with unemployed people and helping them consider options for their future.

"We need good guidance, good advice, good supports for people to help people... [to] find a job that's meaningful for them.

"We can see it when people engage with community education, the difference that makes in people's lives. People who maybe thought they'd never find a future for themselves do indeed," said Ms O'Brien.