Workers Solidarity Movement

Social Justice Ireland has revealed in new research that the gap between the Rich and Poor is widening in Ireland. The gap has got significantly wider in the last twenty years so that now the top 10% of population get 25% of income, while the bottom 10% get only 2.2%.

There are 620,000 people at risk of poverty, 14.1% of population. Without social welfare the proportion of poor in population would be 46.2%

The lobby group are saying that the budget cuts last December will put even more pressure on families and we will see a rise in the poverty rate. They accused the Green/Fianna Fail government of implementing policies that have begun "to target the poorest in our society and their implementation will drive poverty up." Amongst a number of things the group recommends is a reversal of the cut in the minimum wage and benchmarking of welfare payments.

WORDS: James McBarron