I was working part time from 16 to 19 and in full time employment from 19 to 25. I spent 4 years doing my apprenticeship making less than minimum wage for the 1st two years and just over it for my 3rd year. I did all this in the (false) knowledge that I would be on good money when I qualified only to realise the shit had hit the fan in the summer of 2008 and could only get 4 months work over the next 2 years. I have tried to get a job doing ANY kind of work but I have been told i'm too qualified and they wouldn't hire me because i'd just get bored and leave. I WANT to work but i cant get work so what was I supposed to do? I have now decided to go back to college and started doing a PLC course in social care and hoped to go on to college next year to do a degree course instead of getting paid to do nothing and now I more than likely wont be able to do that next year either because it will cost too much for me to do it.
Cutting the dole social welfare isn't the answer to this countries problems, its the civil servants on the higher pay scales that are crippling the country. Do ye know that the head of the ESB (electricity supply board) is earning €750,000 a year (yes, thats THREE zero's after the 750).
Our hospital consultants are earning €250,000 a year and allowed to run their own private practices out of our public hospitals and they only provide 5 day cover a week. Their British counterparts earn 70,000stg, have no private practices and provide 7 day cover, how is that right??????