Job creation ‘not relieving poverty’
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.
“Less than 10% of these households are headed by an unemployed person,” said CORI’s justice spokesman Fr Sean Healy.
“Consequently, a strategy focused principally on the creation of jobs for these people will by definition be a failure.”
The Government’s claim to be taking poverty into account is undermined in two key areas, according to CORI’s justice commission.
It has identified both the high level of households headed by those outside the labour force and the “government’s failure to go anywhere near honouring its own commitment on raising the lowest social welfare rates in Budget 2003.”
Fr Healy said: “In effect, by claiming as it constantly does that job-creation is the solution to poverty, Government is trying to solve the problems of this decade with the solutions of the past decade.”
The submission, to be presented today, also argues that the government has failed in its commitments over social welfare rates.
The National Anti Poverty Strategy review set a key target of achieving a rate of €150 per week in 2002 terms for the lowest rates of social welfare to be met by 2007, 30% of gross average earnings.
After Budget 2003, with rises of €6 for a single person and €10 for a couple, most people are effectively worse off than last year, according to CORI.
The group argues the poverty strategy target should be restated and calls on the government to draw up proposals on how it can be achieved by 2007.
