Job creation ‘not relieving poverty’

GOVERNMENT reliance on job creation alone to combat and relieve poverty will fail, a social justice group warned yesterday.

The Conference of Religious in Ireland yesterday challenged Government claims that the plight of the poorest in society is taken into account when policies are being formulated.

In a strongly worded statement ahead of a submission by the religious group to the Government, CORI’s justice commission said the Government has failed to recognise that almost 60% of those living in poverty are in households headed by a person who is not, nor likely to be, in the labour force.