Billions needed to break poverty cycle, warns charity

The Government needs to commit billions of euro to break the cycle of poverty in Ireland, a charity said today as its spending to help vulnerable people hit record levels.

Despite the growing wealth of the country, Ireland is one of the most unequal societies in the developed world, with 15% of people at risk of poverty, the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) said.

The society said it would cost more than €4.4bn to reform welfare, health, housing, education and the tax system but the long-term positive consequences would be huge.

It demanded increases to social welfare and child income support, more social housing units, the delivery of the promised 200,000 full medical cards and a serious commitment to tackling educational disadvantage.

It said changes would improve employment levels and mean people were healthier, better educated and more able to pay their bills and contribute to society.

Speaking at the launch of the charity’s annual report, president Brian O’Reilly said: “There are more people in work than ever before but the continuing rise of living costs and the reality that many jobs in Ireland are very low paid means thousands of people young and old are finding things very difficult indeed.

“There has never been a better time than now to break the cycle of poverty, the money is there, the need is there, so if not now, when?”

The society announced a record expenditure for 2004 of more than €33.3m, with €18m spent on providing basic necessities such as food, clothing, fuel and cash assistance.

Other projects included crèches in Dublin and Cork, a holiday centre in Drogheda and community centres, breakfast clubs and adult education schemes.

Of the €34.4m income last year, €27.25m came from the public, the society said as it called for support for its annual appeal week which runs from December 4 – 11.

Mr O’Reilly said: “We’re appealing to everyone to be as generous with your giving to the society as we have been in the past, and I can assure you most sincerely between us we can make a very significant difference to those who need it.”

At the launch of SVP’s report at its Ozanam House centre in Dublin, some of the people who benefit from the society described how their lives had been transformed.

Single mother Tolane Ekodavis leaves her three and a half-year-old daughter at the Ozaman centre’s crèche while she goes to work.

“I can go out, go to work and I’m at peace and I can afford it,” she said of the crèche provided by the charty.

“It’s really helped me a lot, they’re really wonderful.

“It’s affordable – that’s the most important thing for me,” she said.

Another single mother, who has five children, said she would not have survived without the help of the charity after she was forced to give up her job due to illness.

“My youngest son has special needs, and they helped me – he plays football and they paid for his football gear and registration fee.

“They’ve gone on weeks away and weekends with St Vincent de Paul,” she said.

The organisation also helped her pay her heating bills, look after her children and persuade her eldest son to return to school instead of quitting education after his Junior Certificate, she said.