Put people before profit, urges union

THE Government must put people before profit and adopt a more coherent approach to regional development, according to the country's largest trade union.

SIPTU general president Jack O'Connor attacked the Government for treating many essential services, from health to education, as commodities rather than as entitlements to be enjoyed by every citizen.

He said it was no surprise that the ESRI and the OECD highlighted the lack of fairness in Irish society in areas like health, education and housing, when compared internationally.

"Social expenditure here ranks among the lowest in Europe," he told delegates at the south west regional SIPTU conference, in Tralee, Co Kerry.

"For example, you can access private healthcare if you can afford to pay for it. But what hope is there for an individual living alone with an income of as little as €143 a week - well below the national minimum wage but over the income limit to qualify for a medical card?

"A doctor's visit at €40 and a prescription charge of just €20, would account for over 40% of this individual's weekly income," he said.

He also said the same philosophy was gaining ground in education, where aspects of educational provision were being hived off to private interests.

SIPTU South West regional secretary Gene Mealy said it would not tolerate the Government's contradictory approach to regional development that gives priority to vested interests close to the political establishment.

"All too often the needs of the people have being overlooked in favour of some party political imperative," Mr Mealy said. He also accused the Government of failing to develop a coherent approach to regional development in its Spatial Strategy, decentralisation plan and Health Strategy. "We demand a coherent approach to health, education, public services and infrastructural development that puts people before profit," said Mr Healy.