A YOUNG unemployed man had to give up an unpaid job because it was not with a registered charity.
Daire Burke (25) from Steamboat Quay has been out of work for the past two years. With a degree in social studies behind him, he took the initiative to find work experience after being told he wasn’t eligible for a JobBridge scheme as he wasn’t in receipt of jobseekers benefit.
He worked voluntarily for seven weeks at Limerick’s Strand Hotel to get experience in sales and marketing, in the hope it would help him secure gainful employment. Last week he was told by the Intreo office on Dominic Street that he would have to give up his unpaid job immediately.
A letter issued from Intreo said that “if a person wishes to do voluntary work whilst on jobseekers allowance, it has to be with a registered charity. A person cannot be paid jobseekers allowance whilst doing full-time unpaid work experience.”
“I have basically been a product of the Celtic Tiger. I was told go to college and you will get a job. I did this and have applied for countless jobs with little success since I finished college.
“The Strand Hotel were very obliging to me and I honestly don’t know how much longer I would have been alive if I was sitting at home any longer.
“I really needed this job. I don’t know how much more I can take. I just feel angry and let down by the system . I thought Ireland was an advanced nation that supported others in there time of distress so they will in turn help others when they are ready,” he said.
A spokesman for Intreo in Limerick explained that those seeking jobseekers payments must be readily available for employment and cannot be in full-time unpaid work. He explained that there is a voluntary option for those wishing to gain work experience with not-for-profit organisations but that this did not include registered businesses.
