Budget must focus on anti-poverty strategy - CORI

The next Budget should reduce the risk of poverty faced by 700,000 people, address the infrastructure deficit, and increase funding for social welfare and anti-poverty measures.

That is the view of the Conference of Religious in Ireland (CORI) Justice Commission which this morning will launch its submission on the forthcoming Budget.

The submission, entitled Budget Choices, addresses a range of issues from taxation to rural development, housing, healthcare and Third World aid.

Arguing that of the 700,000 people at risk of poverty, 250,000 are children, CORI will tell the Government the Budget should:

Increase social welfare rates and the "social provision" generally;

Tackle the issue of "working poor"; and

Ensure income tax changes benefit the lower paid.

According to CORI, Budget policy over recent years, while reducing unemployment and generating economic growth, has lacked the balance of an effective anti-poverty strategy. Arguing that such a strategy is necessary, CORI insists: "Over the last seven years the rich-poor gap has widened by €294 a week."

The strategy should combine high employment with a comprehensive welfare system to ensure everyone has sufficient income to live with dignity, it said.

The CORI Justice Commission proposes that Budget 2005 should substantially increase funding for social housing; provide additional money for services reduced by cuts in the Community Enterprise schemes; and increase lower social welfare rates by €14 for a single person per week, and by €24 per week for a married couple. The submission also recommends increased access to medical cards.