Why has Simon Harris promised penalties for the long-term unemployed?
Táiniste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris has denied “punching down” on the long-term unemployed in his speech at Fine Gael’s annual party conference in Cork at the weekend.
The accusation came from Sinn Féin but was mirrored by other opposition parties in the wake of his comments that " the dole is a safety net, not a way of life."
The mention was brief relative to the thirty minute ardfheis speech, but its pointedness was notable in the context of the address overall.
In it, Harris raised several other traditional Fine Gael talking points; emphasising that it’s the party of law and…
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