SVP spent €600,000 a week helping poor in 2002

THE country’s leading charity, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul spent over €30 million last year fighting increasing poverty levels.

This means the charity had to fork out over €600,000 every week to help people in need.

The SVP will today publish its annual accounts for 2002, amid warnings that thousands more people are falling into the poverty trap.

During the first 11 months of this year, calls to the society’s head office increased by 80% as more people were hit with financial problems.

Many of the calls are from people in full-time employment who can’t afford to pay gas and ESB bills.

“The indirect taxes have hit these people very hard,” SVP vice-president John Monaghan said.

“People at work don’t qualify for a medical card. They have to pay for everything themselves without help.”

This worrying development comes despite unemployment dropping from 10.3% in 1997 to 4.4% today.

However, the numbers of people living on less than 60% of the average industrial wage has increased by half, from 15.6% to 22%, since Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats took power in 1997.

“The working poor is an area that has always existed, but there are definitely more people in the category today,” Mr Monaghan said.

When the SVP’s spending figures for 2003 become available next year, Mr Monaghan predicts it will significantly top the €30m mark.

“Given the number of people calling to our offices has increased by so much, it’s clear the amount we spent this year will be way up on the 2002 figure,” he said.

The situation is so bad that 300,000 children now live in families whose weekly income is less than €175.

This has prompted the SVP to demand the number of people eligible for the family income supplement to be increased in the Budget.

But the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Mary Coughlan, cut the scheme’s budget by 4% in the estimates, which means the society’s request is unlikely to be approved.

The SVP will also launch its annual December appeal today.

“We want to get the message out there that ourselves and the public working together can achieve so much,” Mr Monaghan said.

Advertisements for the appeal on TV and radio will run for the next 14 days.

The SVP need constant support from the public and corporate companies to survive, Mr Monaghan said.