SVP makes pre-budget submission

St Vincent de Paul has called on the Government to take the minimum wage out of the tax net and to increase social welfare payments in the budget.

In its pre-budget submission, the Society is calling on the government to make the right choices in December in order to share out the country's resources fairly.

Spokesman, Liam O'Dwyer, says those on social welfare need an increase just to keep their heads above water.

"It is clear from the figures that the better off people in our society, the corporate sector, have done extremely well over the last five or six years from tax decreases," he said.

"What we would be suggesting is that people on low income need to receive some sort of boost, and it is the people on the minimum wage who should simply be taken out of the tax net at this stage to enable them simply to survive."