EUR
STG
The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SVP) is disappointed that the new Programme for Government does not specifically commit to introducing legislation to reduce poverty, particularly child poverty.
According to the Society, the Programme mentions setting a child poverty target but does not provide a legislative basis for it.
In 2023, SVP received a record figure of just over a quarter of a million calls (250,198) for help to its regional offices and local Conferences nationwide. The 2024 figure was just 0.1% lower, at 248,032, making it the second-highest number of calls in the SVP’s 180th year in Ireland.
SVP National President Rose McGowan said that most calls came from families with children, and the figures indicate how many families continue to struggle with the cost of living. “Food continues to be the biggest issue at 36% of requests for help. Other problems cited when people reach out to SVP for help included energy, education, clothing, household goods, rent, health-related costs, unexpected expenses related to home, transport, or special occasions such as Christmas.
She said, “As a volunteer organisation, we continue to provide as much help as possible. Our vision is for an Ireland where, by 2030, everyone can live a life free of poverty and is guaranteed an adequate income and access to all the services they need to thrive.”
Louise Bayliss, SVP Head of Social Justice and Policy, said: “Despite being a wealthy country, we currently have over 900,000 people going without the basics in Ireland today, and almost 1 in 5 children live in deprivation. While the new Programme for Government contains many commitments for progress over time, few specific actions or timetables are provided.
“Among our recommendations to the incoming Government was to enact a Poverty Act to make targets and poverty proofing legally binding and introduce socio-economic status as a ground for Equality legislation. We also asked for the establishment of a Social Welfare Commission to recommend annual increases and benchmark social welfare rates to a Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL).
“Despite the higher social welfare rates, one-off payments and an increase in the minimum wage, many people will not be better off this year. For example, the latest MESL analysis (November 2024) shows that households with older children are projected to continue demonstrating deep income inadequacy, with supports meeting less than 90% of MESL needs.
Working-age single adults living alone on the standard Jobseekers rate are also projected to meet less than 90% of their MESL needs. Similarly, the analysis applied to those in receipt of the Rent Supplement shows that income is estimated to be 83%. For a long-term social welfare recipient in a HAP tenancy in Dublin, income supports are projected to meet 76% of the MESL needs.
“We want the next government to end poverty, and these measures would show a firm commitment to better share the wealth in our economy with all our people.
“There are measures in the Programme for Government which we welcome, for example, retaining the Child Poverty and Wellbeing Unit. The main role of this unit, established in 2023, is to monitor the delivery of policy commitments by Departments and their Agencies. We believe the unit’s role should be expanded, and a ring-fenced budget be created. The new Programme for Government does not mention creating or ring-fencing a Children’s budget. The commitment is only to ‘examine’ ways to lift more children out of poverty.
