The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVP) said it was extremely concerned today that social commitments of the partnership talks were being overshadowed by the pay and workplace elements.
The society said the Government had committed itself to address shortcomings in a number of major areas including social welfare, social housing, public health services and education among others under the
Toward 2016social partnership agreement.
"We fully recognise the importance of the pay aspect of social partnership but social partnership is about much more than pay and conditions" said SVP Vice President John Monaghan.
"SVP signed up to
Towards 2016because the Government explicitly recognised the complementary relationship between social policy and economic prosperity - and the partnership agreement committed all parties to nurturing this relationship."
"What we're seeing now are the same old responses to economic challenges with those who barely survived in Celtic Tiger times being hit very hard again" he said.
The society said the social commitments given under
Towards 2016were suddenly being pushed back with the mantra 'economic circumstances permitting.'
While the SVP said it recognised the impact of the significant reduction in Government income, the society nevertheless said it expected them to honour commitments to the people most at risk in the current climate.
Professor Monaghan called on all social partners and the Government to work to protect the needs of the most vulnerable.
"With over 800,000 people living in or on the very edge of poverty, it's well past time for Ireland to properly and effectively address the key social inequities which blight the lives of far too many people" he said.
"SVP is seeing a rise of almost 40 per cent in calls for help to its Dublin Office alone - mostly due to increases in the costs of energy, fuel and food - that's a measure of the reality we all have to deal with."
"To give help we need to get help" he added.