A chara, – I would like to draw attention to a Budget cut that has so far attracted little attention. The €20 training allowance previously paid to Fás trainees (a payment to long-term unemployed participants) has been abolished.
The Government has been urging the country’s unemployed to retrain and upskill, but in its wisdom has cut the small incentive to do so. €20 may not seem a substantial amount, but when a person’s total weekly income is €188 or in the case of someone under 25 €100, then it is suddenly a substantial sum.
Surely in these times it would have made more sense to retain this allowance and ever so slightly alleviate the plight of those citizens who wish to better their chances of gaining employment? – Is mise,
BARRY GAULE,
Mount Sion Avenue,
Waterford.