The Combat Poverty Agency (CPA) is seeking aminimum income standard of 50 per cent of the average household income (current equivalent of £126 per adult per week), and for children, the weekly minimum costs of rearing a child (£36).
According to CPA’s new director, Ms Helen Johnston, speaking at the launch of the CPA’s annual report, this is the only way to address the inequalities that persist in Irish society despite the country’s economic success.
In 1998, the CPA report says, six per cent of households experienced consistent poverty, based on enforced deprivation of basic items and living in a household with less than 50 per cent of average household income.
Furthermore, 20 per cent of people fell below the 50 per cent relative income poverty line while 29 per cent fell below the 60 per cent poverty line.
At 65 years, for both men and women, Ireland also has the worst life expectancy in the EU as well as one of the highest premature death rates, while the International Adult Literacy Survey shows that about 25 per cent of the Irish population score at the lowest literacy level.
However, a recent survey of living conditions by the United Nations rated Irish society 18th out of 162 countries surveyed.
While Ms Johnston acknowledged that the extraordinary level of economic and employment growth in recent years has impacted on poverty and social exclusion, a country as wealthy as Ireland, she said, should aim for growth that achieves more equal social outcomes.
"To transform this, and to achieve the ambition of having the lowest EU poverty levels requires investment in quality and wide ranging public services and radical income re-distribution in favour of the poor," said Ms Johnston.
"Ireland is a low tax economy with the scope to spend much more on public services than we do to achieve more equitable outcomes.
"It is time for a shift in mind-set from cautious conservatism to more radical investment in expanding and improving public services such as health, housing and education."
Combat Poverty as part of its campaign is calling on the Government to:
- Ensure that every family - adult and children - has a sufficient income to live life with "dignity, to participate fully in society and to reach their full potential".
- Ensure income inequality and relative income poverty is among the lowest in the EU.
- Significantly reduce the percentage of poor households headed by an unemployed person.
- Reduce health inequalities.
- Ensure that all children have access to high quality earlyeducation.
- Ensure that all children and adults have access to high quality recreational, sporting and cultural activities.