Budget 'should reduce growing rich-poor gap'

The Government should give priority to bridging the gap between rich and poor in the coming Budget, according to the Conference of Religious of Ireland.

In a pre-Budget submission document published yesterday the conference said many organisations had shown that rich people had benefited more from the recent economic prosperity than had poor people. This meant the rich/poor gap had widened considerably in recent years, said the conference's justice commission.

According to the commission, the trend can be reversed if the Budget increases the lowest social welfare payment by at least £14 a week for a single person and £24 a week for a married couple. It pointed out that while the Republic has a standard of living above the EU average it does not have an EU standard of infrastructure or social provision.

The submission maintained the State had one of the worst rich/poor gaps in the EU. "The gap between an unemployed person and a person on £40,000 a year has widened by £159 a week over the past four years," it claimed.

The submission pointed out:

The number of poor people on the housing waiting list or those who are homeless, is growing.

A two-tier healthcare system ensures the State's poorest people must wait at the back of the queue until the better off have been cared for.

Educational disadvantage persists for a large number of people, both young and old.

Ireland's tax take is low by European standards.

The commission argued that serious questions had to be asked about the State's desire to pay for an EU standard of social provision if it was intent on maintaining a below-EU-standard of taxation.

In all, 17 issues were addressed in the submission, ranging from ESRI evidence that the rich/poor gap is widening to environmental issues, rural development and official development aid.

The conference argued that it has been clear for some time that the Government had not honoured the objectives of the national agreement in its budgetary decision-making.

The submission claims society is measured by the way it treats its most vulnerable people. "By this measurement Ireland is failing dismally. Whether or not income poverty is addressed effectively is a matter of political will."

The submission also claimed sufficient resources exist now "to ensure that every man, woman and child in Ireland has enough income to live life with dignity and to reduce the rich/poor gap".