CORI urges Govt to do more for low earners

One-fifth of families living below the poverty line in Ireland are headed by a person with a job, according to research conducted by the Conference of Religious in Ireland.

The organisation said the study also found that long-term unemployment had increased despite the recent economic boom and that almost 90% of those who signed on the Live Register last year were under the age of 25.

CORI spokesman Fr Sean Healy said the Government should tackle the problem by adjusting the tax regime for low earners.

"We have tremendous success in job creation and reducing unemployment, but a lot of the jobs that are being created are on minimum wages and they’re not adequate to support a family," he said.

Fr Healy added that the Government should take those on the minimum wage out of the tax net and introduce a refundable tax credit that would see low earners being paid the balance of unclaimed tax credits.