The St. Vincent de Paul Society has called for child benefits to be more than doubled, in a manifesto that aims to end poverty and social exclusion within the lifetime of any new national agreement. However, it says that they should be taxed so that the benefit of the increase goes to families most in need. The Catholic charity, which is participating in the current talks on a possible agreement, also said it would be insisting that any tax reductions should exclusively favour the lower-paid.
In Dublin this morning, the Society, which has over 600 local branches nationwide, was launching a seven-point social policy manifesto. The document is the opening shot in what it calls a hard-hitting campaign to end poverty and social exclusion during the lifetime of any agreement that emerges from negotiations that began this week. The Society is one of the groups at the talks, part of the community pillar negotiating with unions, employers, farmers and the government.
It says that research conducted among all its local branch presidents reveals they believe the gap between rich and poor is increasing and that the onus is on the government to reduce it. The society says that it is not acceptable to have tens of thousands of people cut off from the benefits of the country's new found wealth. According to the national president Noel Clear, "the Celtic Tiger is a myth for thousands".
Today's manifesto details 56 urgent and necessary steps the government should take. It calls for a 16% rise in the minimum social welfare payment to an adult, which would bring it to £85 per week. Arguing that children should get at least half the amount given to an adult, the Society calls for child benefit to be raised to £100 a month, an increase of over 100%.
