“It’s A Disgrace I Have To Travel Home From Thailand Every Month, Just To Sign On”

TODAY we speak to Irishman Daniel Casey on the trials and tribulations of having to travel home every month to sign-on to our “out-dated” social welfare system.

Speaking to us exclusively on the airport bus into Dublin town, Casey gave us some insight to his monthly trek and what it entails.

“I left Bangkok this time yesterday evening,” he began, clearly exhausted from the long haul flight. “I swear, if I see the film Birdman on that plane again, I’ll murder someone.”

Originally from Ballybrack in the south of the county, it didn’t take him very long to get down to brass tacks of it all.

“Twenty hours each way for the sake of a miserable 800 euro’s a month is a fucking joke if you ask me.”Daniel barked, somehow sourcing the energy needed for such a heartfelt statement. “Only for the few nixers in the Irish bar I work at, I wouldn’t be able to afford the flights at all.”

Spending up to 400 a month on travel expenses, even with frequent-flier miles, the barman called on the minister for social protection to ‘relax’ the departments strict monthly signing-on regime, calling it old fashioned and not up to the lifestyles of the average 21st century dole claimant.

“It’s a disgrace an Irishman, born and bred here, has to travel all this way, just to sign on.” he said. “That extra few pound I spend every month could be spent on more important things, like a housekeeper for the gaff. It’s one law for Joan Burton and her cronies and one law for us. I just don’t see myself doing this for another seven years, you know? ”

Clearly upset, tired and emotional, Casey finally stood up to say his goodbyes, making one last point before he left.

“It’s time this government started looking after its own people abroad, instead of minding those from abroad, like their own people.”