Coalition promises - Fight against poverty needs action

DESPITE the Coalition’s loud boast of managing, if that’s the word, one of Europe’s fastest-growing economies, the grim reality at the underbelly of Irish society is that a staggering 600,000 people in this country are mired in poverty.

Such an appalling vista, depicted by the St Vincent de Paul charity in its pre-budget submission, gives the lie to political claims that things have never been better.

And it makes a mockery of claims that in overall terms the level of poverty is falling.

The fact that children are among the worst victims of poverty indicts a system where the rich get richer while the poor get poorer by the day.

According to children charity Barnardos more than 148,000 Irish children live in consistent poverty. Behind the cold statistics this means one child out of every seven is in the grip of poverty. Many go hungry to school where they receive sub-standard levels of education.

The risk of more people sliding into the poverty trap was illustrated by the Central Bank warning over the relentless rise in personal debt.

It was a timely reminder for banks and other financial institutions of the dangers inherent in doling out massive loans to people who will be put to the pin of their collars to repay them if inflation continues to rise.

To be sure, those at the top of the income scale have never had it so good. But their view of Ireland is seen from an extremely narrow perspective.

There is no concealing the disparities between the haves and have-nots in our society.

In theory, neither Barnardos nor the St Vincent de Paul have political agendas. In reality, because successive governments have failed to tackle poverty with realistic policies, these and other charities are engaged in the very stuff of politics.

Heavily reliant on voluntary aid and operating at the coal-face of society, they see a far more accurate picture of the real extent of poverty than this Government would care to admit.

Reflecting a bleak world where people struggle to make ends meet while a golden circle of the mega-rich get away without paying a cent in taxes, the St Vincent de Paul charity recorded a mind boggling 300% increase in the number of calls for assistance over the past two years.

By any yardstick, that is a truly frightening statistic. More than any polemicist could to achieve, it underlines the urgent need for Government to take specific action on social welfare, child support, tax, housing, education and health, some of the areas where the inequities of Irish society are most evident.

Nor is this scenario confined to urban areas.

According to a Combat Poverty study, rural areas such as Donegal, Mayo, Leitrim and Longford, are caught in the grip of consistent poverty.

Doubtless, with an election looming, the Coalition will promise the moon to voters in these and other neglect areas.

What people want is action - not promises.