A chara, – There is a disincentive to work and create enterprise in this country. Saturday's article "Freefall: From self-employment to unemployment", by Patrick Freyne, gives stark instances of this lack of incentive.
The current legislation appears to encourage a welfare trap from which it is very difficult to escape back into normal life and work. I do not believe that a punitive approach is helpful. That is making it even harder to gain assistance when unemployed because of the fear that it encourages laziness. The simple fact is that few individuals can go from unemployment to finding and retaining employment without support. Thus, for instance, in the first year of employment after at least six months of unemployment, individuals might retain a medical and travel allowance card and perhaps even receive a more generous tax rate. And those who have lost their self-employment ought to receive the same benefits as everyone else (with appropriate income tests).
As things stand, the risks of establishment costs, the time-lag prior to income, and the lack of a safety net, mean few will show enterprise and seek to generate productivity for themselves, their employees and the nation. In this, everyone – individual, customer and GNP – all suffer. – Is mise,
MICHAEL AHERN,
Galway.