Government actively blocking former political prisoners from employment – Ellis

Sinn Fein TD Dessie Ellis has blasted the government for their active role in attempting to place further barriers to employment in front of former political prisoners. He made his comments as part of a debate on a Sinn Fein motion on the Good Friday Agreement in the Dáil this evening.
Deputy Ellis said:
“The spirit of the Good Friday Agreement is clear. Barriers should be removed not erected in terms of allowing ex-prisoners from the conflict to obtain employment. The people backed this agreement with massive support and the government is bound by its commitment.
“Fine Gael and Labour have, particularly in relation to Haulage and Taxi industries, sought to make it more difficult for ex-prisoners covered under the Good Friday Agreement to keep work.
“This is threatening the livelihood of many families and is totally unacceptable.
“The government cannot pick and choose what it likes about the agreement it signed up to. It must live up to its responsibility and remove barriers to employment and give this a legislative basis.
“For a government so eager to honour its agreements with bankers and bondholders it is truly galling to see their total disregard for the agreement which brought gave peace room to grow.”
ends