http://disqus.com/by/Merrilyn/enSat, 08 Aug 2009 10:46:54 -0000http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/16342#comment-14476659<p>I am a wife of an Irish citizen. My husband (Irish) works very hard in sales on the road for long hours and is on low wages. We have a mortgage to pay, a baby on the way and it is difficult to make ends meet. I came to Ireland from India last November '09 and I am unable to find a job. Since I am not a refugee and a wife of an Irish citizen, I am unable to claim any help from the social welfare office or the HSE income support as my husband is working. Unfortunately, his wages which are already very low will be taxed further. On the other hand, a refugee comes into Ireland and gets a luxurious house of her choice with 4 bedrooms (only a woman and a child) in a locality which we cannot afford to stay as wealthy people stay in that locality and she gets all the benefits and luxuries of life from social welfare and HSE welfare officer for not working at the cost of the tax payer. They walk around with best of clothes (branded) which we cannot afford to wear, although my husband is working. The other day I heard of an African woman who just threw the boogie which was given to her by the social welfare officer as she did not like it (it was not the one SHE had picked) and the manager came out and informed her that he would provide her with the buggy of her choice, this is not a made up story, it happened in Athlone last week. Is it fair that my husband who works so hard and cannot afford these luxuries is taxed when we find it difficult to make ends meet just because he is an Irish man who is sincere and hardworking? Is he made to suffer for working hard and for being an Irish citizen? There are many more such examples and it is sheer injustice that the citizens of Ireland have to face and I see it everyday as nothing is done to stop this ongoing injustice. </p>MerrilynSat, 08 Aug 2009 10:46:54 -0000http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/16342#comment-14476187<p>I am a wife of an Irish citizen. My husband (Irish) works very hard in sales on the road for long hours and is on low wages. We have a mortgage to pay, a baby on the way and it is difficult to make ends meet. I came to Ireland from India last November '09 and I am unable to find a job. Since I am not a refugee and a wife of an Irish citizen, I am unable to claim any help from the social welfare office or the HSE income support as my husband is working. Unfortunately, his wages which are already very low will be taxed further. On the other hand, a refugee comes into Ireland and gets a luxurious house of her choice with 4 bedrooms (only a woman and a child) in a locality which we cannot afford to stay as wealthy people stay in that locality and she gets all the benefits and luxuries of life from social welfare and HSE welfare officer for not working at the cost of the tax payer. They walk around with best of clothes (branded) which we cannot afford to wear, although my husband is working. The other day I heard of an African woman who just threw the boogie which was given to her by the social welfare officer as she did not like it (it was not the one SHE had picked) and the manager came out and informed her that he would provide her with the buggy of her choice, this is not a made up story, it happened in Athlone last week. Is it fair that my husband who works so hard and cannot afford these luxuries is taxed when we find it difficult to make ends meet just because he is an Irish man who is sincere and hardworking? Is he made to suffer for working hard and for being an Irish citizen? There are many more such examples and it is sheer injustice that the citizens of Ireland have to face and I see it everyday as nothing is done to stop this ongoing injustice. </p>MerrilynSat, 08 Aug 2009 10:45:43 -0000