Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Employment Affairs and Social Protection John Brady has said that no person on a social welfare payment should have to face threats of having their payments stopped and be pressured into sourcing work during the COVID-19 emergency if they don’t comply as a “heartless” decision that should be stopped immediately.

Deputy Brady was speaking after raising the issue in the Dáil today.

The Wicklow TD said;

“Over the last week I have been contacted by a large number of people who have been contacted by Jobpath providers Turas Nua and Seetec and informed them that they must continue to engage with them or face sanctions.

“They also confirmed that people are being pressured to find work and threatened that their payments will stop if they don’t comply while the current health emergency continues to grow.

“To make such demands and threats of people in already vulnerable circumstances during the worst public health emergency in modern history is heartless and needs to be stopped immediately.

“Thousands of workers have already been made unemployed since the COVID-19 outbreak began and many more face this likelihood in the near future also. The last thing we need is to be putting people into situations that could further escalate this emergency.

“Minister Doherty must immediately stop all JobPath referrals, and must also bring a halt the threats to jobseekers to cut their payments.

“During this state of emergency we need to keep people well and save lives.”