Government’s social protection figures need to be seen in context

Regarding your report on the UN committee examining Ireland’s human rights mechanisms, the chances of getting straight answers, from the Government, to pertinent questions seem remote, given the testimony of Sean Sherlock, TD, at the hearing.

In refuting the claims of gross unfairness by the Government in how it shared the burden of the fiscal problems, Sherlock said: “The spend on social protection measures, as a proportion of the total Government budget, increased by 37% between 2007 and 2015”. All well and good, until the facts are further examined — the starting point of 2007 is not only irrelevant, in terms of explaining the Government’s action, but it is misleading.

Figures available from the Department of Social Protection show that expenditure for 2007 was €15.5bn, which increased to €20.5bn in 2009 (under the previous administration). From there, the expenditure flat-lined under the present government and, in 2013, dropped below the 2009 spend, to €20.2bn, despite the massive hike in unemployment over that period. The number of persons in receipt of some form of welfare support was 1.4m in 2009, compared with 2.2m in 2013, while the protection spend fell.