JUST MORE than 40 per cent of adults say they are willing to support higher taxation to fund improved public services, according to an opinion poll published yesterday.
The survey, carried out by market research agency Behaviour Attitudes on behalf of the Tasc think-tank, also indicates that the vast majority of people believe the distribution of wealth in Ireland is unfair.
In addition, the survey suggests most people (67 per cent) believe issues to do with social justice, work/life balance and happiness are the most important factor in measuring a country's performance. This compares with 21 per cent who say economic growth is the most important factor.
The survey results are based on a national sample of 1,000 respondents between April 11th and 22nd this year.
Tasc is an independent think-tank on social change in Ireland, established three years ago. Launching the survey results, group director Paula Clancy said the results showed the majority of people feel equality is a very important issue.
"Inequality has become endemic in Ireland and during the boom years, there were those - such as former PD leader Michael McDowell - who avowed that inequality was an inevitable byproduct of economic growth," she said.
"It is clear from our survey that the vast majority of Irish people disagree with that view. On the contrary, they view equality and social justice as central to our performance as a country."
She also said it was clear the numbers prepared to pay for higher taxes in return for improved public services has grown dramatically over the last five years. The rise in numbers is particularly evident in higher earners, who are among those most likely (50 per cent) to support paying higher taxes.
"These higher-income groups are those best able to afford increased taxes," Ms Clancy added. "Our findings dovetail with the recently published Red-C poll, which showed that 62 per cent of respondents would prefer tax increases to cuts in the health and education budgets."
Despite high levels of dissatisfaction with public services ranging from health to education, there has been a historical reluctance to pay higher taxes in order to fund improved services.
For example, just 9 per cent of respondents in an Irish Times/ mrbi poll in September 2003 were willing to pay higher taxes for better public services. This rose to 23 per cent in another Irish Times/ mrbi poll when the same question was put to respondents in May 2007.
Tasc said this trend - along with its own poll findings - suggests this historical reluctance to pay higher taxes for better services was diminishing.
In Tasc's poll, the question of whether respondents would pay higher taxes for better public services was worded as follows: "Compared to many other EU countries, the quality and level of public services, such as transport, health, education, social security and pensions in Ireland, is extremely low. How willing would you be to support higher taxation in order to achieve the quality of public services that countries like Sweden have?"
The survey also shows that more than two-thirds (70 per cent) feel wealth is distributed unfairly in Ireland.
When respondents were made aware of a finding by the OECD that wealth distribution in Ireland is among the most unequal in the developed world, a total of 64 per cent said they were not surprised.
The Tasc report warns that the economic downturn, coupled with unemployment and high food prices and fuel inflation, has the potential to increase inequality still further.
A detailed summary of the survey is available on Tasc's website at www.tascnet.ie