Calls to charity up 40% as food prices soar

ROCKETING fuel bills and rising food prices have pushed up by 40% the number of calls to the country’s largest charity for people in need.

The Society of St Vincent de Paul recorded the upsurge in requests for help at its Dublin branch since economic difficulties began to bite in recent months.

The organisation said it was “extremely concerned” the national partnership talks which concluded with a national wage agreement this week had been preoccupied with the issue of pay to the neglect of longstanding commitments to help the less well-off in other ways.