'Poverty' households headed by people in work

Almost 30% of households at risk of poverty are headed by a person with a job, it emerged today.

CORI Justice warned that up to three quarters of a million people in Ireland have incomes below the poverty line.

The religious organisation said the Government’s failure to address the issue was a serious indictment of how the resources were used during the booming Celtic Tiger years.

In its annual socio-economic review, the policy watchdog challenged politicians and policy makers to tackle poverty, especially among the working poor.

The 233-page review, entitled Planning for Progress and Fairness, argued that, despite the huge economic growth in recent years, Ireland is a long way from being a society characterised by fairness, equality and wellbeing.

Fr Sean Healy, Director of CORI Justice, said: “After a period of great national prosperity, it is clear that many have benefited little from the boom times.

“However, almost three quarters of a million people still live with incomes equivalent to less than the poverty line.”

Latest figures showed that 720,774 people – 17% of the total population – earn less than the standard poverty line recognised by the European Commission and the United Nations of €11,400 for a single person and €26,400 for a household of four.

Despite the figure, the number of people with incomes below that has dropped by 120,000 in the last seven years, when 21.9% of the population was at risk.

“This reduction is welcome but far more needs to be done to ensure every man, woman and child in Ireland has sufficient income to live life with dignity,” continued Fr Healy.

“It is time that Irish policy-makers took the initiatives required to dramatically reduce the number of people at risk of poverty and developed the services in areas such as education, health and accommodation to ensure that all can live life with dignity.”

The review found that while almost 30% of all households at risk of poverty are headed by a person with a job, 50% of homes at risk are headed by someone outside the labour force and unable to work (elderly/disabled/carers), and less than 15% are headed by someone who is unemployed.

It also revealed more than 20% of all children in Ireland are at risk of poverty.

CORI Justice maintained that to tackle income poverty the Government should change the tax system and increase social welfare and child benefit payment rates.

Fr Healy added that a number of reforms should be adopted as national priorities in the process of addressing inequality.

They include addressing the social provision deficit, reducing poverty to EU-average levels, minimising social exclusion, building a fairer tax system, adopting standard fiscal planning methods, developing long term planning, shifting policy to target growth in per capita national income, and developing a rights-based approach.

“While Ireland has become very prosperous in recent years and done very well on a range of fronts it has substantial deficits in infrastructure and social provision,” added Fr Healy.

“While our per capita income is far above the EU average our infrastructure (in areas such as social housing and public transport) and social provision (in areas such as primary healthcare and social welfare) are far below the European average.

“These deficits must be addressed if Ireland is to be a fair society that promotes wellbeing for all.”

CORI, which is a social partner, represents more than 135 religious congregations with 11,000 members in 1,300 communities throughout Ireland.