Trade unions and major non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have launched a campaign to oppose cuts in social welfare payments or the minimum wage.
The ‘Poor Can’t Pay’ campaign was launched as a joint initiative by Age Action, Barnardos, CORI Justice, European Anti-poverty Network, Focus Ireland, the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU), Mandate, the National Women’s Council of Ireland, Siptu and St Vincent de Paul (SVP).
Speaking on behalf of the campaign, John Mark McCafferty of SVP said: “We hear all the time from many commentators who say it is inevitable that basic social welfare payments and the minimum wage must be cut.
“This campaign aims to highlight that most people in Ireland do not accept this view and they actually believe that we must do all we can to protect the most vulnerable people in our society.”
The campaign group said those earning the minimum wage or living on social welfare “did not cause Ireland’s economic crisis and should not be forced to pay the price of the recession”.
The organisation also called on the Government to reverse its decision not to pay the Christmas ‘bonus’ welfare payment this year. It said some 1.3 million people benefited from the payment last year.
"It is a key part of the income of the poorest households. If it the Government does not make this payment it represents a real cut in income to the families and single people who can least afford it, adding to their hardships.”
The Poor Can’t Pay campaign will launch a website tomorrow (www.thepoorcantpay.ie) in an effort to attract support from other NGOs and trade unions.