Society ‘will pay price if those in difficulty not helped’
At its pre-budget presentation yesterday, the Society of St Vincent De Paul (SVP) said it had seen a huge increase in calls to its regional offices in the first nine months of this year, highlighting the deepening need of many families and individuals around the country.
In the Dublin regional office, calls have soared by 39% compared to the same period last year, while in the Cork office the number of calls has rocketed by 53%. The Galway office has had a 36% increase in calls.
Almost half of all calls in a given month relate to cost of fuel and food, with one in four calls coming from someone who has not previously been helped by the SVP.
Most calls are from households with children, the majority are from people on social welfare and between 15% and 22% are foreign nationals, often because they cannot access welfare payments due to the habitual residence condition.
The charity also said it is providing at least 344 beds for homeless people in its 13 hostels throughout the country, with the government’s target of ending long-term homelessness by the end of this year unlikely to be achieved.
SVP national vice president John Monaghan said impact studies for projects such as motorways were regularly carried out yet a similar exercise was never pursued for the impact of cuts on the people affected.
“The communities are going to pay and we can see that every night of the week,” he said.
Máiréad Bushnell, SVP national president, said some people who previously donated to the charity now needed its help, but were often reluctant to come forward.
The SVP said the fair way to raise revenue would be to end tax loopholes and apply PRSI and levies to all income while reducing the tax relief on pension contributions to 30%, among other measures.
It called on the government not to cut social welfare rates or pensions and to restore the Christmas bonus, as well as changing the rent supplement system so that negotiations take place directly with landlords.
The SVP also said many families got into debt with money lenders at Christmas time, a situation which often spirals out of control.
It said it hoped to expand a scheme operating in Cork in the past 18 months in which people take out loans of up to €5,000 with credit unions that are guaranteed by the SVP, cutting money lenders, both legal and illegal, out of the picture.
The SVP also demanded the removal of the 50c prescription charge and the establishment of a national book rental scheme in schools.
The SVP launches its annual appeal for funds on November 22.
- Full pre-budget submission at www.svp.ie
