Where to from here?
Dail Eireann
Sir -- I am a self-employed Irish man with a question for our men in Dail Eireann to answer. Please read on.
On Monday of this week, I made the toughest decision of my life to close my business. I regretfully informed my employees and was taken aback by the matter of fact response from a Polish employee who has worked in this country legally for me for four years. After a frank discussion, he outlined his future in our "mighty little country". He will receive €380 weekly from the Social Welfare, his rent of €162 will be paid, he will also receive a medical card and children's allowance. Due to my calculations, his future in our "mighty little country" rewards him to the tune of €770 weekly.
Now take me, his employer, following the humiliation of closing my business, I rang Citizens Advice and after a brief discussion, I am entitled to zero due to the fact that I am a property owner, i.e. the building which I used for the business I just closed.
I asked my now ex-employee if he was to return to Poland what would his entitlements be given the same situation. He would receive €150 per month plus €10 child benefit which when broken down works out at €39 per week. Will you go home, I innocently asked, he laughed and said "no, he loved our mighty little country!"
Maybe it's time our mighty politicians grew a pair of balls and dealt with this joke of a situation. Oh yes, my question for our mighty politicians
Where to from here?
Name and address with Editor
Originally published in
