‘Unethical’ budget targets worst-off, claims Social Justice Ireland

Director of Social Justice Ireland Sean Healy has said Budget 2014 is “unethical” as the Government continues to target the poor.

Fr Healy argued that the budget had failed to meet the terms of the troika agreement and would merely serve to increase inequality and poverty.

Michelle Murphy of Social Justice Ireland said they had issues with the emphasis being placed on social welfare fraud by Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton.

“We have a huge emphasis on social welfare fraud in Ireland but it’s rarely accompanied by any reliable statistical data; it’s based on a formula of projected savings but nobody even sees that formula,” said Ms Murphy.

“Over 70 per cent of fraud is due to error and the fact that our welfare system is so convoluted, complicated and not fit for purpose.”

She also criticised the “Start Your Own Business” initiative which would see the long-term unemployed set up their own businesses and not pay any income tax for a year.

Construction industry
She said the initiative did not take into account how someone in long-term unemployment could afford the costs of starting up a business and the level of educational attainment among those who once worked in the construction industry.

Fr Healy called on the Government to explain why 2013 had been the year of “growthless job creation” . He quoted Central Statistics Office figures which showed that over the 12-month period to the second quarter of 2013, GDP and GNP fell, while during the same period the numbers employed grew.

Fr Healy welcomed the €500 million job stimulus package announced by the Government in the budget but said the investment was not on the scale the situation required.

“The solutions the Government have come up with are focused on getting a reduction in borrowing and getting us past December 16th, as if in some way everybody will be free and everything is hunky dory,” Fr Healy said.

Social Justice Ireland welcomed free healthcare for under-fives as a step towards “universality”, but said more primary healthcare centres would be needed.

Fr Healy described the social impact investing measures announced in the budget, in which the private sector would tackle homelessness, as “bizarre”.

'Guinea pigs'
The plan would see private-sector investment partners providing long-term stable homes for homeless families in the Dublin region.

“Homeless people are the most vulnerable in society and deserve better than to be used as guinea pigs in a private-sector experiment,” he said.