FF pledges next Budget to tackle social exclusion

BUDGET 2005 should see substantial improvements in tackling poverty and social exclusion, CORI Justice Commission spokesman Fr Sean Healy revealed yesterday.

The long-time critic of the Government's failure to tackle social exclusion was the keynote speaker at the annual Fianna Fáil think-in at Inchydoney in west Cork yesterday.

Fr Healy said his demand for a €14 increase in social welfare payments also got a good response from the Taoiseach and Fianna Fail.

The main theme of the two-day meeting was social awareness and Fr Healy presented a shopping list of demands for improvements in social welfare, housing and community employment schemes.

"I got a very positive response and they were definitely listening to me but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating," Fr Healy said.

The Taoiseach said the Government's priority is a fairer society and they now have substantial resources to tackle social exclusion.

"We have a commitment to foster a fair society, we have spent €11.25 billion on social welfare that will not of course resolve all the difficulties," Mr Ahern told a news conference.

But spare resources in the next Budget will be targeted at the socially excluded, the Taoiseach said.

Asked if the next Budget will focus on tax cuts or increasing social spending, Mr Ahern said: "We will try to keep taxes low but also help people who need help when we have spare resources."

Responding to critics' claims that Fianna Fáil had moved to the left following their disastrous result in the local and European elections, Mr Ahern said FF was neither right wing nor left wing but centrist.

"We generate economic growth and then spend not like the left wing parties who spend and then leave the country bankrupt," the Taoiseach added.

Mr Ahern also insisted that there was no tension between Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats.

"The Programme for Government is a template for work ahead and there will be no change in it," Mr Ahern added.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Micheál Martin said he felt Fr Healy was pushing an open door in his demands for a fairer society.

"Fianna Fáil has always been a party that looks after the socially excluded and the robust public finances should allow us provide the promised 200,000 extra medical cards before the next elections," he said.