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A REPORT PUBLISHED today by thirty leading Irish national organisations working against poverty and inequality highlights the Government’s failure to protect the most vulnerable in society and warns that the dual attack of unemployment and cuts at national and local level has pushed individuals, families and communities into poverty.
The publication by Community Platform, aims to give a snapshot of some of the human stories behind the statistics, with a series of interviews with families, single people, community workers and marginalised groups on how the recession and resulting government policies have affected their lives.
Members
Community Platform members include Age Action Ireland, Irish Penal Reform Trust, Migrant Rights Centre and the Rape Crisis Network of Ireland, to name but a few.
Robin Hanan, speaking for the Community Platform said “as we move out of the recession we must also move away from austerity policies. The Government now has no excuse not to carry out poverty and equality impact assessments as a central part of all policy making. Too often the Government focuses on the bottom line and ignores the impact of persistent cuts on real people and communities”.
The people quoted in the report volunteered to tell their stories because they “want the wider public to realise the impact that Government decisions are having on their lives and the lives of others like them,” said Community Platform.
Impact
The interviews were carried out by Jamie Gordan and Jacinta Fay, who asked the simple question: “how is the recession, and Government policy, affecting your life?”
Community Platform members said the interviews confirm that the greatest impact of the crisis and austerity measures has been felt by people who are on the lowest incomes and most dependent on state supports and services, adding that services and supports are being cut and incomes have greatly reduced.
They added that many people are struggling to heat their homes or adequately feed themselves and their families, adding that members have seen a growth of people queuing for food parcels in our cities and towns.
One such interview from a community worker in Fatima Mansions states:
…Cuts to local services in Fatima have caused a rise in drug use and criminality in the complex. I see gangs of young people we had working a few years back.We had broken the cycle of people entering into criminality. But the biggest impact of the austerity of the last four years has been a rise in anti-social gang culture… Young people who may have been able to get a job a few years back are now drifting in to the drugs scene.
They end up in the criminal justice system or with a bullet. It’s really that serious.
The publication of interviews has been given to its report to all members of the Government and opposition TDs.
Unemployed
Community Platform spokesperson Edel McGinley said the report shows that people on social welfare have been “vilified and stereotyped as work shy and idle” adding that “this is simply not the case”.
She said the report shows that people do want to work, but austerity policies and lack of opportunity continue to trap them in unemployment and low-paid part-time work.
“It’s time for our politicians to stand up for struggling families and communities,” she said.
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Of course it was an Irish budget; it took much from those that need most, and took nothing from those that have most.
Just one example…three rows of social houses across the street from me…car or two in front of each of them…trips to the post office every week…work?…what for?…we have everything for free…i hope i will see them soon leaving home in the morning to go and work hard, just like me!
Good man. There are jobs out there.temporary maybe. Interns maybe. Free college or fas courses maybe. But defo no excuse to be at home all day
Agree wholeheartedly with the Senator – the budget reflects profound ideological choices about the kind of Ireland we want.
Neither party has outlined any kind of vision beyond balancing the books – this is a massive failing.
I think it was a very good budget.. Its not going to impact much on those who are working. There are currently 10,000 jobs advertised in ireland… So jobs there are, i think the budget was a push to get people back to work.
Alex. When I see the “back to work” slogan used regarding this budget it makes me laugh. Very few employers in their right mind will employ anyone unless absolutely necessary with this proposal for them to pay first 4 weeks of sick pay.
What are we paying PRSI for again? Oh yeah, for when we’re all on the dole!
And even if the 10,000 jobs figure is correct (where are you getting that from, btw?), there are well over 300,000 people unemployed in this country at the moment. And what about the 140 companies that went under in the past month?
“Incentivising” people to go take jobs that aren’t there, by placing them
In danger of poverty, pushing them deeper into poverty. Weak justification, given the circumstances.
Well I think was a good budget. There are politics to how the decisions can be made and they did their best. But they should have put a few euro on the fags. That way unemployed people won’t smoke away their social welfare. And don’t tell me unemployed strapped for cash people should have the freedom to smoke blah blah
Have you something against the Unemployed then Aidan ?
That’s all very well and good, but you are actually speaking about an addiction. And forcing them to quit is infringing on their rights, whether it’s a silly decision to smoke or not.
If a person on the dole had a worse addiction like heroin we wouldn want them to spend their dole on it and smoking is no different.. I dont mind paying tax for the needy or for education and healthcare but you can get fucked if you think im paying for someone to smoke 20 a day and live in the local bookies.. Tax the shite out of bad habits I say…
@yosser. I have something against the unemployed smoking my tax money. As stated. Now please stop with your amazingly silly point
Aidan. You’d never look in the mirror for me and tell the cranky man to stop making his amazingly silly points.
Can they smoke their own tax money? I’m pretty sure the 14% out of work haven’t always been on the dole.
Yeah lads great being on the dole money for nothing ….Working 5 days a week on the black market couldn’t beat it !! You just keep on paying your taxes good lads ….
Unemployed because they chose it as their lifestyle?…YES…because they are too lazy?…f..k YES! They feel far too comfortable with the dole coming to their pockets every week and don’t even think about doing anything towards finding a job. Not all of them of course, but surely a lot of them.
Es war sicherlich ein irischer budget!!
enjoy! :)
Bitterly disappointed to hear Dr Zappone on with Ivan Yates during the week. Dr Zappone talked about how great the Seanad was but guys like me (taxpayers) have no say because I went to the “wrong” university. Another taxpayer (a friend who happens to own and run a shop, and is doing so very successfully during a recession) who pays a lot more tax than I do gets zero say because he didn’t go to college. Another friend, a supremely intelligent guy doesn’t get a vote because he got his degree (a First Class Honours) at Baliol, Oxfod. It is a bit rich cribbing and moaning about inclusiveness when you are happy to partake in the most obscenely undemocratic instituion imaginable.
Huge respect for gay rights work, but the fact that Dr Zappone went out of her way to say how great the Seanad was makes my blood boil.
Dump the euro
Balance the books
Problem sorted
Ooops! One small problem. The public sector might have to take a pay cut. I guess we will just have to make our children pay instead. Simples.
@Rommel the country is in debt. If you can find their own tax money you are some man. Otherwise cop on
@Aidan
Can civil and public servants smoke? After all you’re paying their wages too. Or are they exempt because they contribute tax? The majority of the unemployed have contributed plenty over the years too you know. Why not hammer drink in the budget too?
@Rommel public and civil service can do what they want with their disposable income. Don’t be so silly. Look, ill spell it out for you like a kids story it might help you: So if you were unemployed, you’re sitting with your partner scratching your head over how you are going to financially cope, and her and your feet are sore from walking through Dublin at the anti budget protest and she turns to you and says ‘Rommel, please give up the fags for a start, that will help, there is too much money being smoked. You smoke twenty a day. That’d sixty a week, a third of your job seekers allowance ‘ ‘why no honey, it’s my right to smoke, I’ll smoke if I want, I’ve worked long enough over the years so I’ll do what I want, so goodnight’
End of
“public and civil service can do what they want with their disposable income”, but not the unemployed? Why not? I got news for you, it’s none of your business.
End of.
@Rommel buddy surely you know that disposable income is that of money left after tax. Unemployed receive allowance, support. Incomparable in my opinion. Anyway have a good Friday night. I’m headin out for a fag
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