Seamus Brennan- is he a Good or Bad Minister?

[ailish]

Seamus Brennan, the Minister For Social and Family Affairs had previously made changes to the Social Welfare system in the last two-three years. They appear to be really strict measures designed to make it a closed game for anyone who is genuinely unemployed. I have a few friends who were turned away from his Department even though they were unfairly laid off from their previous jobs at a Hotel in Dun Laoghaire. Despite their best attempts to find a new job, they were unsuccessful and they then applied for unemployment assistance. However, since the system was almost completly closed up by the changes Brennan brought in, they could not get any state entitlement until they found a new job.

Does Seamus Brennan wish to eventually eliminate the Social Welfare system for good, or what? He appears to be heading this way so that even workers who work cannot get their stamp money under his policy.

I think this could effect him in this years general election?

[TheBear]

<Mod>Moved to Fianna Fáil.</Mod>

[cavan.one]

One of the best, a man who has foresight and vision, thats my opinion.

[nu_tool]

Hes a man of straw. I think he gets his kicks from making the system this way.

[happyman]

Ok well its terrible to hear about your friends losing their jobs. However, according to the latest ESRI statistics we are at full employment in economic terms which means that everybody who wants to work can work. In fact they think we dont have enough workers for the amount of jobs that we have. So perhaps its not so much that your friends cant find a job but rather they cant find a job that they want??

With regards to being turned away from his department. Im not exactly sure what your suggesting? Do you think the minister should have stopped managing a government department and taken a meeting with two unannounced former hotel employees??

With regard to his social welfare policies I dont know them very well. However the economic theory is based on this. If social welfare with regard to unemployment benefit is too high then there is very little incentive for people to work at the lowest paid jobs. I think everybody would agree that the more people who are working the better it is for the economy as a whole. Saying social welfare generally would seem to me to be some sort of scare tactic by the opposition parties. When people hear social welfare they think of housing and child benefit as opposed to unemployment. Hence by claiming he is trying to get rid of social welfare you are merely trying to taint Seamus Brennan as being cold hearted.

[ailish]

Ok well its terrible to hear about your friends losing their jobs. However, according to the latest ESRI statistics we are at full employment in economic terms which means that everybody who wants to work can work. In fact they think we dont have enough workers for the amount of jobs that we have. So perhaps its not so much that your friends cant find a job but rather they cant find a job that they want??

With regards to being turned away from his department. Im not exactly sure what your suggesting? Do you think the minister should have stopped managing a government department and taken a meeting with two unannounced former hotel employees??

With regard to his social welfare policies I dont know them very well. However the economic theory is based on this. If social welfare with regard to unemployment benefit is too high then there is very little incentive for people to work at the lowest paid jobs. I think everybody would agree that the more people who are working the better it is for the economy as a whole. Saying social welfare generally would seem to me to be some sort of scare tactic by the opposition parties. When people hear social welfare they think of housing and child benefit as opposed to unemployment. Hence by claiming he is trying to get rid of social welfare you are merely trying to taint Seamus Brennan as being cold hearted.

They couldn't find any job and no, they were not being too choosy with their applications either. They were prepared to take any job from working as a cleaner in the reception centres to working as a kitchen porter in the catering/hotel industry. Dublin's hard to find jobs in these days. Have you tried looking for a job yet rather than spending all your time posting comments all day and night? Do you work? I'm sure if you were looking for a job, you would see a big difference in how easy it is to find jobs in light of the recent job losses around Ireland lately.

As regards Seamus Brennan being cold hearted, you said it. He has made the Social Welfare system almost a closed game, even for people who have worked and who are applying for their stamp money. Seamus Brennan is unable to manage the Social Welfare department. He seems to like getting a kick out of making unemployment assistance difficult for people who are genuinely unemployed and who have nowhere else to go. I would be inclined to remind him of his obligations when he's canvassing for the next General Election

[Maximus]

Have you tried looking for a job yet rather than spending all your time posting comments all day and night? Do you work? I'm sure if you were looking for a job, you would see a big difference in how easy it is to find jobs in light of the recent job losses around Ireland lately.

Monster.ie currently lists more than 1000 job vacancies in Dublin alone...

To answer the question, I think Brennan is an excellent Minister.

[happyman]

They couldn't find any job and no, they were not being too choosy with their applications either. They were prepared to take any job from working as a cleaner in the reception centres to working as a kitchen porter in the catering/hotel industry. Dublin's hard to find jobs in these days. Have you tried looking for a job yet rather than spending all your time posting comments all day and night? Do you work? I'm sure if you were looking for a job, you would see a big difference in how easy it is to find jobs in light of the recent job losses around Ireland lately.

As regards Seamus Brennan being cold hearted, you said it. He has made the Social Welfare system almost a closed game, even for people who have worked and who are applying for their stamp money. Seamus Brennan is unable to manage the Social Welfare department. He seems to like getting a kick out of making unemployment assistance difficult for people who are genuinely unemployed and who have nowhere else to go. I would be inclined to remind him of his obligations when he's canvassing for the next General Election

As my friend states there are more than enough jobs out there. One thousand on monster.ie?? Wow there is a real shortage out there alright. So I dont think your arguement of....."they just cant find one" really does not hold any water.

With regard to your personal attack on me. As it currently stands this is my 15th post on this website ever. I think you have 321, so who is the one posting on a website all day???

"Cold hearted"......wow you almost caught me in that clever web of words. Of course thats not what I said. I was saying (if you read the post of course) how opposition parties are attempting to taint Seamus Brennan. You seem to have just plucked some words out of my post without any regard for the interpretation or context.

[dmc333]

Brenann is a great minister.

I think he was in his element as Transport minister, he had a answer for everything.

[FakeViking]

Brenann is a great minister.

I think he was in his element as Transport minister, he had a answer for everything.

Like, he was going to stick the Luas "Up On Stilts" at the Mad Cow! How much did that utter waffle cost?