Troika told how budget hit the poor

The troika has been told that Budget 2013 impacted disproportionately on the poor.

European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland said that marginalised communities, people with health issues, and families with children, were hit hardest by the cuts announced last December.

It has made a submission to the troika calling for a poverty impact statement to form part of all future budgets.

It said consistent poverty increased from 4.2% in 2008 to 6.2% in 2010, and the impact of the past two budgets will have made this situation worse.

The budget included:

*A cut to child benefit by €10 per child for the first two children;

*A reduction in the back to school clothing and footwear allowance by €50;

*An increase in the prescription charge for medical card holders.

The impact is felt most by “those already living in marginalised communities and members of the most disadvantaged groups, such as lone-parents, people with disabilities, older people and ethnic minorities including immigrants and Travellers”, the report said.

The submission also said women have been impacted upon significantly by the recession.

“Women’s unemployment is now growing at a far faster rate than men’s,” it said.

“Evidence from the trade unions is showing that abuse of women’s rights in the workplace has escalated in the recession. As primary care givers, women are struggling to manage the constantly reducing household budget and debts to provide for their families.”

It said the National Economic and Social Council is due to publish a report on the social dimensions of the crisis “which will add further to our knowledge of the impact of the crisis on the most vulnerable in our society”.