'Culture of dependence' in N. Ireland?

BELFAST, Northern Ireland, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Northern Ireland suffers from "worklessness," which contributes to high levels of divorce and alcoholism, Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith said Thursday.

Smith, the secretary of state for work and pensions, released a 28-page report published by the Committee for Social Justice, a think tank he founded, The Irish Times reports. At an appearance in Belfast, he said Northern Ireland must move beyond its political history and tackle "the cultures of dependency and joblessness."

"The impact of worklessness is felt right across society," he said. "Among other things it is linked to family breakdown and poorer mental and physical wellbeing. It fuels both adult and child poverty."

The report, "Breakthrough Northern Ireland," said more than half of the families collecting government benefits have been on welfare for at least five years. The divorce rate has more than quintupled in 40 years, with 20 percent of families having only one parent in the home.

About 50,000 people are unable to work because of mental problems or substance abuse, the report said.