Anti-poverty groups have called on the Government not to rule out tax increases in the next Budget in the wake of a United Nations report showing that Ireland has the worst poverty rate in western Europe, writes Nuala Haughey
The Government could afford to eradicate poverty or continue "give-aways" to the rich, but not both, the coalition of groups said yesterday.
The European Anti-Poverty Network and the Community Platform want the Government to make the tough decisions necessary if it is to make a "decisive impact" on eradicating poverty and social exclusion by 2010.
The network's Ireland co-ordinator, Mr Robin Hanan, said the economic slowdown made it more important to concentrate resources on the eradication of poverty and social exclusion.
The UN Human Development Report published this week which showed Ireland still had western Europe's worst poverty rate was not a coincidence, he said. The findings were "the result of deliberate choices over the years".
Mr Hanan said assurances were needed that the Government would not use the next Budget to "make the poor pay, yet again, for the economic down-turn and the cost of the massive handouts to the rich over the last decade."
The groups made a submission to an Oireachtas committee yesterday at a special hearing on the forthcoming two-year National Action Plan against Poverty and Social Exclusion.