Keeping up with the demands of the economy leaves people no time to exercise care and compassion, the national members' meeting of the Society of St Vincent de Paul heard yesterday.
The meeting in Dublin also heard of children who have to get themselves out to school in the morning and return home to empty houses because their parents are out working and cannot get affordable childcare.
The society's president, Mr Noel Clear, said a Dublin undertaker was recently quoted as saying that people prefer to use cremation for the dead because in a busy world they cannot find time to visit a graveyard and tend to the graves of their loved ones.
"That says it all," he said. In the hustle and bustle of survival in our competitive Ireland and in the driving desire for gain and wealth, "it is a striking comment on the changing priorities of our country.
"The concept of voluntary service to our neighbour and to building a sense of community is a value which is essential in an increasingly materialistic and individualistic world where isolation and loneliness are seen to be on the increase."
Children in some deprived communities "are unable to concentrate in school because of hunger and poor diet", a former president of the society, Mr Don Mahony, told the conference.
Some young children "have to organise themselves for school" and there is an increasing number of "latchkey kids".
This is because their parents have to work without childcare facilities.
A St Vincent de Paul project in three Dublin communities provides breakfast for 900 children a day at a cost of less than 50p per child, he said.
As a result, punctuality, attendance and concentration at school have improved.
"Junk food has almost been eliminated. Social skills have improved. Children start lessons in a relaxed mood and not hungry."
He hoped this measure, along with others, would help reduce early school-leaving, which was now a national problem.
In the five years to 1998, 35,000 children left school early, he said. Other measures which could help were extra support teaching, counselling and art therapy.
The meeting also heard that projects working with children after school had been a success in a number of areas.