The prospect of single-party government lead by Fine Gael is "very worrying", the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU) has said.
Speaking at the publication of the organisation's election manifesto today, head of policy Bríd O'Brien said it was "crucial" any incoming government did "not cut welfare payments any further".
Fine Gael has pledged to cut €10 per week from welfare payments by 2014.
Though the organisation declined to recommend how anyone should vote, Ms O'Brien said she was concerned there appeared to be a trend - "from the EU-IMF deal to Fine Gael policy" - that the way to address unemployment was to cut the duration a person could claim unemployment benefit and to cut the payment itself.
"But without jobs where are people supposed to go?" she asked. "Government has to get the jobs issue right first before they start giving more grief to welfare recipients. I am concerned there seems to be a lot of the 'big stick' approach there but nothing for people to go to."
The INOU manifesto poses four questions it wants people to put to canvassers. They are:
- What will you do to tackle unemployment?
- Will you reverse the cuts made to Jobseekers Allowance and Benefit?
- How will you improve services to unemployed people?
- What will you do to create decent jobs?
