Confronting poverty - More and more people need help

At first glance there is something reassuring about the announcement from the St Vincent de Paul Society in Cork that donations made at church gate collections have increased by 11% since last year.

It points to the innate decency that has sustained this society through many difficult episodes. It also suggests that the great majority of people realise that there are far too many of our neighbours struggling to make ends meet, that far too many people are having real difficulty in reaching a decent but pretty basic standard of living. And they recognise too that those of us who can afford to have a role in easing that life-quenching burden.

Unfortunately, that feeling of moderate achievement cannot survive the second half of the society’s announcement. In a chilling confirmation of how endless economic theorising, and rows about whether we should cut spending or try to stimulate growth by spending money we don’t have, reach into people’s lives the society also reported that the demand for its support has increased by 30%. In this vicious circle it is impossible for the society, and so many other services, to guarantee the support people might need.

The society’s southern president Brendan Dempsey added a worrying note of caution to the cold figures — “ ... the types of calls we are getting are costing us a lot more than they used to because of their complex nature. I would say things are not easy for us and we are worried about the future”.

He specifically referred to the cost of education. Nominally, in another kind of Irish myth, we have free education for first and second-level students but as any parent can verify giving a child the education they deserve can be a crippling expense. Third-level fees — or registration fees as we call them — are increasing and expected to rise further. On that issue yesterday’s announcement from Education Minister Ruairi Quinn that he is to establish a third-level scholarship scheme is indeed welcome. It may not satisfy everyone’s needs but at least it is a recognition of the difficulties faced by many families and a real incentive to ambitious students coming to the end of second-level education. Nevertheless no one qualifying for a third-level education should be denied it because of an inability to pay.

The society’s announcement came hard on the heels of a report from Social Justice Ireland which says that 700,000 people are living in poverty in Ireland. This represents one sixth of the population and is a startling indictment of our society and the way our unfettered capitalism has fallen so out of kilter with the needs of so many people.

These figures also give credence to Ruairi Quinn’s assertion that some people have not grasped the depth of the economic crisis facing us. Ironically, those comments were made to an audience that can do more than any other to turn this human tragedy around.

As ever the greatest weapon in the fight against poverty is education. How reassuring it would be if those so determined to protect their own circumstances were as forceful in making a commitment to that never-ending and pro-actively Christian project.