The Conference of Religious in Ireland (CORI) has criticised the Government over its strategy to tackle poverty.
CORI has submitted a detailed document on the forthcoming National Action Plan for Social Inclusion - which it says identifies the Government's two main failings in addressing growing poverty in Irish society.
Fr Sean Healy, of the CORI Justice Commission, said the Government policy has failed to recognise that almost 60 per cent of those living in poverty are in households headed by a someone who is not in the labour force.
"Less than 10 per cent of these households are headed by an unemployed person," Fr Healy said. "Consequently, a strategy focused principally on the creation of jobs for these people will by definition be a failure".
CORI also attacks the Government for failing "to go anywhere near honouring its own commitment" in the last Budget to raising the lowest social welfare rates.
CORI represents more than 135 religious congregations with 12,000 members in 1,400 communities throughout Ireland.