CORI: Working poor not helped

THE Government failed to maintain the momentum of the last three budgets in addressing poverty and social exclusion, the religious organisation CORI said yesterday.

While the proportion of the population at risk of poverty fell by 2.4% as a result of the budgets in 2005 and 2006 and would fall further as a result of last year’s budget, that momentum would not be maintained following Budget 2008.

CORI was disappointed that the Government did not address the working poor problem and said that a single person on €15,000 a year or two earners with an income of €30,000 gained nothing from the budget.

CORI justice director Fr John Healy pointed out that almost a third of all households at risk of poverty were headed by a person with a job. “To tackle poverty effectively this group must be targeted and the most effective way to do this was to make tax credits to which they were entitled refundable.”

CORI, however, welcomed the €12 a week increase in the lowest social welfare payment ensuring that it was maintained at 30% of gross average industrial earnings and that social welfare recipients had done better than those who were wealthy.

CORI also welcomed the allocation of resources in the budget to ensure an additional 9,000 social housing units would start next year.

But it said one of the most regrettable and unacceptable failures of Budget 2008 was the failure to honour the commitment contained in Towards 2016 to develop local primary healthcare teams.

“Between 90% and 95% of the population are treated by the by the primary care system. The failure to allocate the necessary resources to meet this commitment is a disgrace,” said Fr Healy.

Meanwhile, the Society of St Vincent de Paul said it was particularly disappointed that the budget failed to tackle child poverty and hoped for better targeted child income supports.

“We note that the qualified child allowance has increased marginally by €2 to €24. This represents an investment of just €200,000 for those children most in need.”