'Austerity' Budget would be 'unsustainable and dangerous' for charities

The Government has ruled out the one-off universal supports in this year's Budget that acted as a safety net for many families struggling with rising grocery and fuel bills previously. File picture

Any return to “austerity” would have a devastating impact on vital community and voluntary services, along with the people who rely on them, charities have warned.

Ireland’s national association of charities The Wheel told a pre-Budget forum hosted by the Department of Social Protection that the idea charities can keep going on doing more with less was “unsustainable and dangerous”.

“With one in 12 charities specifically dedicated to the relief of poverty or economic hardship, and countless others in health, housing and homelessness, child and family services, and community development [are] under immense pressure,” its advocacy and campaigns manager Guillaume Jacquinot said.

“Any cut to vital social infrastructure will have severe repercussions, at a time when an increasing number of families are likely to fall into poverty.”

Whereas last year’s Budget was criticised as a “giveaway” from the Government prior to the general election, ministers have signalled a greater degree of caution this time.

This year's Budget is likely to be more restrained than previous years, as global economic uncertainty means the Government will likely be taking a different approach.

In particular, it has ruled out the one-off universal supports that acted as a safety net for many families struggling with rising grocery and fuel bills.

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The Wheel said that the speculation points to fiscal restraint being prioritised but added such an approach should not be taken given recent statistics suggesting hundreds of thousands living in poverty.

Mr Jacquinot said: “While the Government’s cost-of-living measures provided short-term relief for many families, they were never a substitute for sustained investment in social services and targeted supports.

“Phasing out these measures now risks pulling the rug from under already struggling households, when the priority should be building a durable and equitable safety net.”