Galway East TD Seán Canney has called on the Government to ensure that workers are incentivised to return to the workforce.
The Independent TD said that people on Jobseekers need to have an increase in their take home pay if they are to be available to work.
“Issues such as the loss of medical cards, enhanced child benefit, PRSI pates and social housing thresholds all contribute as disincentives to people joining the works force,” said Deputy Canney.
“We need to make work pay for people. Employers need to have access to a workforce and right now it is virtually impossible to get workers.”
Deputy Canney said that all sectors are under pressure to find workers in construction, homecare, hospitality and transport to meet current demand.
“There is an opportunity to address these difficulties by adjusting the PRSI for people between €18 to €22,000, increasing income threshold for medical cards and social housing and allowing the continuation of enhanced child benefit for the first two years of employment for people giving up jobseekers and taking up employment.”
