Ireland is failing dismally in its treatment of its most vulnerable people who have been excluded from what is required to live life with dignity, according to Father Seán Healy of the Congress of Religious of Ireland (CORI) yesterday.
Father Healy was speaking on behalf of 13 members of the Community and Voluntary Pillar of Social Partners at a meeting of Government and social partners at Dublin Castle yesterday.
He strongly condemned the focus on the economy "to the detriment of developing a society" and called for the Government to reassess its priorities.
"For decades we've been told the economy has to grow before issues could be addressed," he said. "The major winners are those who are already better off."
Ireland's serious deficits in infrastructure needed to be addressed, while Ireland had the worst rich-poor gap in Europe with the lowest spend on social provision, said Father Healy.
He called for the social exclusion of minority groups such as refugees, the poor, people with disabilities and women to be tackled. Father Healy also called on the Government to increase corporate tax and capital gains tax, and eliminate tax free areas such as stud fees.
"We welcome the Taoiseach's commitment to building a fairer more inclusive society," he said but wanted to see "action taken in Budget 2004 ".
The Irish Council for Social Housing called for the release of State lands for social housing in addition to the land promised for affordable housing. They warned targets set for social housing under the National Development Plan would not be reached unless sufficient land was made available at reasonable cost.