Outrage at degrading dole queue in Portarlington
A PROTEST against the "inadequate and humiliating conditions" at the dole office in Portarlington has highlighted the problems faced by up to 3,000 people forced to sign on at the tiny office each week.
The queue at the social welfare office stretched well down Main St early yesterday morning as the unemployed from surrounding areas had to sign on and give personal details in cramped conditions. Sinn Fin organised yesterday's protest in response to what has been described as completely inadequate conditions. Hundreds of people have also signed a petition calling for better facilities.
Apart from Port residents many people travel to the office from surrounding areas including Monasterevin, Rosenallis, Mountmellick and Ballybrittas.
Those arriving just before 9.30 am on Tuesday morning were well down the queue and facing hours of waiting. Those that were at the head of the queue had arrived around 8am with one man stating that he had been on the road at 7.30 that morning, essentially being on a commuter's schedule, just so he could sign on at 9.30 am.
"It's very degrading out on the street with people passing up and down," another man said. "When you get in there, there's no room and everyone knows your business," he added.
It was the lengthy queues and cramped conditions which prompted the protest, organised by Sinn Fein's Aidan Mullins. "You wouldn't fit a coffin in that office," he said. He added that there is no privacy for people when they have to provide personal details.
In previous years, people were able to sign on at their local garda barracks, which eliminated the lengthy queues that are being endured by those on the dole, he said. Mr Mullins questioned why this is still not the case.
He said forcing people to come to Port means that many people have to hitch a lift from outlying areas or some club together to pay for a taxi.
"The indignity and embarrassment that people have to suffer with traffic driving past isn't acceptable," Mr Mullins said.
He quoted recent figures which showed that there are now 3,337 people signing on the Live Register in the Portarlington area, and questioned how the current facilities can be deemed adequate. He added that there are many larger and far more suitable premises in the town which could be used for a social welfare office.
For more on this story, including reaction from the Department of Social Protection, click here
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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