The Coalition Government appears determined to ignore basic injustices and inequalities in Irish life through adopting a bland, well-meaning and unspecific approach to poverty and deprivation. Its National Action Plan against Poverty and Social Exclusion, submitted to the European Commission last June, as part of a EU-wide programme, has been found to be seriously lacking in specifics and confined largely to descriptions of policy measures already in place. In terms of policy preparation, the old notion: "what we don't know, won't trouble us" appears to be alive and well.
It's not that the Government has not been told. Early last year, the National Economic and Social Forum (NESF) urged the adoption of specific anti-poverty targets aimed at improving the situation of women and children, along with measures dealing with homelessness, healthcare, racism and low paid employment. The NESF described Ireland as "a deeply unequal country, marked by one of the most unequal disparities of income in Europe, massive class inequalities and education participation and entrenched intolerance towards minorities such as Travellers." It also complained about a lack of up-to-date statistics with which to measure deprivation and social exclusion.
Since then, it would appear that nothing has changed. The National Action Plan submitted to Brussels contains the same flaws identified last year by the NESF. The EU found it lacked a strategic dimension and didn't contain "any targets or evaluation of the on-going strategy." The Government was urged by the Commission to increase the level of investment in health, housing and transport for those on low incomes; to improve care for children and the elderly; to reduce growing income inequalities; to raise education and literacy levels and to integrate refugees and migrants. A general election is less than a year away and the Government will come under pressure to adopt a more caring approach. The current down-turn in the economy should not be used as an excuse to defer action.