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THE GOVERNMENT is to introduce legislation which ensures that part-time firefighters cannot be denied Dole payments for choosing to stay on as part-time fire staff instead of taking full-time work elsewhere.
Part-time (or ‘retained’) firefighters are currently given jobseeker’s payment for the days they spend on call, in addition to a €1-per-hour payment for being on call.
However, this requires them to live within five minutes (or around 1.5 miles) of their station, under the so-called ‘proximity clause’ – which causes difficulty when firefighters are required to seek full-time work whenever they are not on call.
This means that if a firefighter turns down a full-time job elsewhere, because it would mean taking them too far away from their station, they could face the loss of their unemployment benefit.
In one case in 2011, a part-time firefighter moved from Kildare to Drogheda, hoping to secure full-time work in the fire service there. However, they were give only part-time work – and the man’s Dole application was rejected because he was considered to be unavailable for a full-time job elsewhere.
However, TheJournal.ie understands that Joan Burton will now include a clause in the forthcoming Social Welfare Bill which will specifically exclude the ‘proximity clause’ as grounds for denying welfare payments.
The move is likely to affect about 800 of Ireland’s 2,000 retained firefighters, who are thought to be dependant on their benefits in order to maintain their roles in local fire services.
A spokesperson for Burton said the decision was a “recognition of the valuable service which this group of workers provide to their local communities, and the need to maintain the service for the protection and safety of the public.”
Firefighters’ union IFESA had previously claimed that up to a quarter of Ireland’s firefighters could be forced to quit their jobs if the Department of Social Protection cut welfare benefits for part-time staff.
The legislation is expected to go through the Dáil late next month.
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RTE 1 Good evening and here is the news. Only six or seven people were shot in Dublin this evening but sources say it has nothing to do with the main gangs that are shooting each other. As soon as the smoke clears we will bring you further updates!
You forgot the reassuring soundbite full of jargon from francis the sycophantic social worker..
Seems like more of a punishment shooting than anything else 3 in the arm one in the leg.
Or the other way round lol
punishment? you think he was a bold boy?
Either that or the shooter has a very bad aim . Maybe it was his first time …
they are blooding new talent these days
Assel
Do you know know what a punishment shooting means?
Dublin 2016 = lawless to the point where lawlessness has now become normalized.
Take a bow Frances, Acting Minister for Chaos and Lawlessness.
are you threatening me Nick?
LOL……
@Assel, If you are going to troll the Journal, at least learn to read and write at a reasonable standard of English. God Bless you, Father Stack
Brian…give poor francis a break…she knows that behind every assassin..every killer,every thug,gunman,hitman,psychopath,drug dealer…lies a vulnerable individual.
Well if it is a so-called punishment shooting, carried out in Clondalkin, then it would probably the CIRA. And that would mean that so-called dissidents were out on the streets shooting people, and given all the connotations of the Kinihan-Hutch feud, any such shooting should be regarded as related.
Leave my name out of this please
Ironically in Frances’ constituency. Everyone was all over it during the election. A baby almost killed in Finglas. Cowards gunning down an innocent man in town, mistaken identity… And last week no less than 2 shootings in the same night and now this.
The Juan Kerr’s in government should hang their heads in shame. They only gave a a fook about being re-elected
Where’s the armed Garda patrol and checkpoints now? I didn’t see a single checkpoint at all this bank holiday. Couldn’t do (say) enough a few weeks back
I didn’t vote for you Frances. Your a disgrace, letting the criminals shoot the place out of it
Ah poor francis…she totally wants to conduct an intervention with these vulnerable groups of armed men and young people…perhaps a family welfare conference or two…perhaps approach the “issue” from a strenghts based perspective with a view to a wrap around care package for the most vulnerable gang members and targetted support – bespoke of course – for the remainder.Gardai operating in the area will of course wear tracksuits…to do otherwise may offend the the vulnerable gang members sensetivities and possibly upset them.
You forgot about the Nike trainers , dead giveaway if the Gardai are not wearing them !
Ah Sis…easy knowing im not from a social work background…duffer and armani tracksuits i know about…didnt think of the de rigeur Nike’s…thankfully francis is “across this” and will have vouchers to hand…
Bro , you’re right I’m sure she’ll have every angle covered … she’s usually on top of things .
Shocking so two gangs killing each other and now random shootings time for a zero tolerance policy on organised crime and use of guns in crime more eru on streets open back up the stations and get more gaurds on the beat enough is enough
we need a story about Halawa hurry up …. forget this Irish stuff make us feel guilty.
Shooting in Dublin !!
As long as it isn’t in Dartry or Milltown where the Defence barristers and Judges live then there is no need to worry.
no shooting in dublin 6 so do you think people get shot for no apparent reason at all?
Worse it’s getting instead of better!
Thanks Yoda.
Whatever he did it almost cost him an arm and a leg.
Elmo must be back again
Francis is a male and Frances is a female for all the people who seem to get mixed up, only saying.
Hope he wasn’t a Leicester City fan
Chat shit get banged!
Shit shot, bang bang
Victim known by the authorities???
Think he was a spurs fan.
gang bang …..
here
have your say