THE MOST vulnerable in society are bearing the brunt of the economic downturn and must be protected from further Government cutbacks, social justice campaigner Fr Peter McVerry has warned.
He was speaking at a function to commemorate the UN Day for the Eradication of Poverty, just yards away from the famine memorial at Custom House Quay in Dublin.
Hundreds of people from inner-city support groups and agencies tackling poverty gathered to express solidarity with people who are living on the margins through songs, stories and testimonies.
Fr McVerry said many young people in particular were in danger of being locked into poverty for the rest of their lives unless the Government makes a conscious decision to protect them in forthcoming budgets.
“Our message today is that those who are poor, those who are homeless, those who are on the margins ought to be protected,” he said. “Unfortunately, the opposite is the case. It’s those at the bottom of society, those who only received the crumbs from the Celtic Tiger, are the ones bearing the brunt of the cutbacks.”
Fr McVerry acknowledged that the Government faces difficult spending decisions. But he insisted essential services which make a difference to the quality of life of the poorest should not be targeted.
“We need to find ways to bridge the deficit in a way which does not impact disproportionately on those who are poor and marginalised, as they are doing today,” he said.
The focus of this year’s commemoration was on young people, who spoke of their experiences of poverty.
Jimmy, a young man from the Acorn support group, said he left school early at 16 and drifted into drugs and alcohol. He also developed a mental health problem, but has been making significant progress in recent times. “Young people need people to look up to. For me, it’s my mum and sister. It’s also important to have a place to talk about our problems. You can’t bottle it all up inside.”
Another young person, Evelyn, originally from Kenya, spoke of her experiences being mistreated as a domestic worker in Ireland.
“It was very difficult, not knowing anything about my rights. I felt isolated. It wasn’t easy. In those tough times I was able to find people who helped me – the Migrant Rights Centre. There are many other migrants here in Ireland who also feel alone and excluded. We all need to reach out to them.”
While official figures show the number of people living in poverty in Ireland fell during the boom, new figures are expected to show a dramatic reversal.
Anti-poverty groups say rising unemployment and welfare cutbacks are likely to have serious implications for the living conditions of hundreds of thousands of people.
Labour party MEP Proinsias de Rossa, who was presented with the testimonies of young people’s experiences of poverty in Ireland, said the EU has a crucial role to play in protecting the poor.
“Europe also needs to decide which side is it on: the people or the bankers?” he said. “It is not acceptable that those on the margins should now pay the price for the Celtic Tiger. Many organisations which support the vulnerable are living on a shoestring. Cutting that shoestring will not save the Irish economy.”
In a statement, Minister for Community and Equality Pat Carey said the Government was committed to protecting the most vulnerable in society.
“Despite our altered economic and fiscal circumstances we remain committed to building a socially inclusive and fair society,” he said. “Our overall goal is to restore economic growth, maximise employment and prioritise the needs of the most vulnerable.”
Mr Carey said substantial work is being done at local level and to help reduce the number of people in poverty, as set out in EU and Government targets.
“We know that now, more than ever, we must ensure that the resources devoted to social inclusion policies are used as effectively and efficiently as possible,” he continued.
“Local people are best placed to assess, to plan for and to co-ordinate the responses to local needs.”