Report highlights growing levels of poverty

Local Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe has described as “not surprising but wrong and unacceptable” the findings of a report by Social Justice Ireland which shows that the income of Ireland’s poorest households fell by a staggering  18% in a single year, while the income of the wealthy rose by 4%.

Deputy Crowe said:

These latest findings by Social Justice Ireland that show  the income of Ireland’s poorest households fell by a staggering 18% in a single year and while at the same time the incomes of  wealthy actually rose by 4 per cent highlights what is wrong and totally unacceptable with this current Governments policies.

“The report  also points to the fact that the top 10 per cent of the weathy in Irish society receives  14 times  more disposable income compared  to the  the poor who are now experiencing the worst income distribution than at any time in the last 30 years.

“This follows similar findings in reports published by the Irish League of Credit Unions, Barnardos and the St Vincent de Paul which all show that the rich are getting richer and more and more families being forced into  poverty grinding poverty.

“Social Justice Ireland have correctly identified Government budgetory policies as making the situation worse and that their policies are responsible for actually widening the income gap  between the wealthy and the poor.

“Nowhere is this more starkly illustrated than in my own constituency of Dublin South West, where the scourge of unemployment and rising levels of poverty reflects the failures of this and past Government’s economic  policies.

“Unfortunately it looks like an anti-poverty strategy is way down the list of their priorities  and the next budget looks like delivering more of the same.

“Anti austerity measures, paying off toxic banking debt,and rewarding the wealthy that helped create the current mess seems to be to forefront of Government thinking.

“Thats what makes so many people so angry and frustrated during this crisis.

“Any fool can see that without a radical rethink of economic policies the situation can only continue to get worse especially for those stuck in poverty”