Faced with the prospect of unemployment, young people in Portlaoise have created their own work.
The Portlaoise Self-Help Project receives no funding or government assistance. With the help Father Jim O'Connell nineteen young people are producing washing-up liquid, bleach and shampoo at outhouses next to the presbytery in Portlaoise .
Locals found the quality of the products good.
Father O'Connell provided use of his house, phone and car to help the group get established. He also went out on the road himself to help with marketing for the products but admits to not being a great salesman.
PJ McNamara and John O'Brien have been part of the operation since it began. They say that it provided an opportunity to get off the dole. They describe the challenges when trying to promote the products.
People tend to be suspicious of these young people with bleached hair and earrings who do not look like conventional salesmen.
Father O'Connell says the enterprise grew week by week and they hired more people. He believes that this model for business could be replicated in other towns. They received great support from local shops who are willing to stock their products and support the young people.
Each person involved in the enterprise earns £55 per week which equates to around £20 more than they would receive on the dole.
I'd rather be on the wage I'm on now and doing this than walking around the town doing nothing with my hands in my pockets and back on the dole again.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 7 June 1984. The reporter is Jackie Hayden.
