The Combat Poverty Agency, in its pre-budget submission, has called for an increase in child benefit of €12 per month, an increase in social welfare of €10 per week and overall improvement in employment supports.
The costing of Combat Poverty's proposals, according to the organisation, is in the region of €905 million.
However, it says, the cost of the proposals could be covered by curtailing discretionary tax reliefs and exemptions; setting a minimum effective tax rate for higher earners and freezing personal tax credits and tax bands.
The proposals, if implemented, would reduce relative income poverty by almost one per cent with a positive knock-on effect on consistent poverty, the agency argues.
The pre-budget submission, entitled Investing in our future: Ending child and family povertyalso calls for the prioritisation of welfare expenditure in Budget policy.
"We contend that tacking social exclusion can best be done in Budget '04 by a focus on raising child supports as well as general welfare rates to ensure that the gap between rich and poor is not accelerated by the budget," Ms Helen Johnston, Combat Poverty Agency Director, said.
"We recognise that difficult policy choices face the Government as a result of the global economic downturn and the deterioration in the public finances. In prioritising budgetary objectives, the main focus should be on those who have the greatest need."
Combat Poverty is the national statutory organisation dedicated to advising on ways to prevent and eliminate poverty and social exclusion.