'Solemn duty' to fight poverty

A young woman who had lived on the streets from the age of 12 and a young Traveller man living in squalid roadside conditions were among those who addressed a group of  people in Dublin today to mark UN Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

Organised by the European Anti-Poverty Network, the Irish event was hosted by the former governor of Mountjoy Prison, John Lonergan. He said people in poverty suffered most in economic crises and that more people were now experiencing poverty. The event was an important one on the international calendar, he noted.

“It is a moment of solidarity with people whose daily struggle against poverty is also a struggle for respect of their human rights, including their rights to an adequate income, to protection in the workplace, to education and appropriate housing.”

The gathering of about 50 people took place at the Famine Memorial on Custom House Quay, where a stone nearby is inscribed with the message: “Wherever men and women are condemned to live in poverty, human rights are violated. To come together to ensure that these rights are respected is our solemn duty.”

Lord Mayor of Dublin Naoise Ó Muirí (Fine Gael) said he was struck by the importance of social solidarity, or "meitheal", in the spirit of the event.

“At a time when the major institutions of the State have been shown to be sadly wanting, the importance of networks of extended families, local neighbourhoods and living communities cannot be stressed enough.”

According to latest Government figures, 706,000 people (15.8 per cent of population of State) were at risk of poverty in 2010, up from 14.1 per cent in 2009. Some 277,000 people (6.8 per cent) were in consistent poverty.

The 2010 poverty threshold income level of €10,831 a year was 10 per cent lower than the 2009 threshold of €12,064.

The groups with the highest risk of poverty rates are children, the unemployed, single adults aged under 65, those in lone parent households and those not at work due to illness or disability.

A young woman who gave her name only as Lorraine, said at the event that she had grown up in institutional care.

“I was supposed to be in HSE care until I was 18 but at 12 I found myself on the streets. Children in care need to know they are loved, and loved when they come out of care, because it is very hard to find your way and be grounded when you are young and on your own.”

She had found support in the Saol project, which supports women drug-users who want to stop using substances. “Life is better, but it is still tough and getting tougher with all the cuts. You need to turn to the person beside you sometimes and ask, Are you okay?’ It is a terrible thing to be ignored, to be labelled. We are all people, we all have hopes and dreams and we all have names.”