Charity urges Government to protect the poor

The Government has been urged to protect the livelihoods of the most vulnerable in the current spate of cutbacks. The Society of St Vincent de Paul, which supports low income earners, said the economic and social environment had "altered alarmingly" because of recent cutbacks.

Mr John Monaghan, chairman of the society's social policy committee pointed to reported increases in ESB charges, doctors' fees, hospital charges, VHI subscriptions and CIÉ fares. "The most recent cuts in specialised education services are particularly reprehensible and discriminatory," he said."Our volunteer members know from their own experience that those the society assists spend the greatest proportion of their already inadequate income on food, heat and electricity, transport and rent."

Mr Monaghan said there must be unconditional Government commitment to protect the already weakened living standards of people living on social welfare and low incomes.

"Even in recent good times, such people were struggling on clearly inadequate incomes," he said. "And inadequate income is the single biggest cause of poverty." He criticised recent Government suggestions that its objective to provide everyone with sufficient income to live life with dignity may become conditional.

"The challenge to Government now is to make sure that those most in need are not those further damaged by the Government's apparent inability to wisely invest the benefits of the Celtic Tiger," Mr Monaghan said. He warned that the St Vincent de Paul would be taking "a robust stand" to protect the most vulnerable. "Our participation in any negotiations leading to the formulation of a new national agreement will reflect the serious concern and deep unhappiness we feel over the present situation," he said. Meanwhile, Mr Richard Bruton, the Fine Gael deputy leader said the Government was "outdoing itself" by breaking more election promises. He said the outcome of this week's Fianna Fáil meeting was "a plan to squeeze more money out of the ordinary person".

If extra charges for medicines, college, VHI, local authority rent, VAT and electricity did not hit people's pockets, "do not think that you are home free," Mr Bruton said. "They are hatching plans to catch you with new income tax impositions," he added.