Budget a chance to address social problems - Cori

The forthcoming budget will provide the Government with a "golden opportunity" to address social problems to help make the country a fairer society, according to the Cori (Commission of Religious in Ireland) Justice Commission.

Cori's Fr Seán Healy, who famously addressed the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party ahead of the 2004 budget, said the last two budgets were steps in the right direction. He said budget 2007 should continue in the same direction, with a heavy emphasis on welfare increases, social housing and healthcare in the community.

The proposed measures include:

* An increase in the lowest social welfare rates of €20 a week for single people

* Sufficient resources to increase the social housing provision by 9,000 units in 2007

* Increase tax credits rather than widen the standard rate tax band

* Fund 100 additional primary care teams

* Increase funding for overseas development aid to 0.5 per cent of GNP.

Fr Healy said an increase of €20 per week to minimum social welfare rates would mark a "fundamental turning point in Irish public policy" by fulfilling a commitment to sharing the fruits of this country's economic success.

Overall it was ironic that in the past those proposing that social problems be addressed were told the resources did not exist. "Now that the resources are available in abundance, we are told that again they cannot be addressed because such expenditure might damage the economy."

The new national agreement rejected this approach, he said, by pointing out that economic and social development were complementary. "It's a question of society's priorities," Fr Healy said.