Commenting on today’s ESRI research that shows Budget 2020 will increase poverty rates, Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD said:
“It was clear from the off that Budget 2020 failed to protect the most vulnerable in our society and as a result is highly regressive. Today’s research by the ESRI think tank confirms that the Budget disproportionally impacts people on the lowest incomes. It has increased the poverty gap as well as the proportion of people who are at risk of poverty, including children.
“The government has point blank refused to say whether its Budget was poverty proofed. But the ESRI’s analysis shows in stark terns that poverty was the last thing on Fine Gael’s mind in preparing its Budget for next year.
“This was a Budget that failed to index link basic social welfare rates, failed to increase the minimum wage and failed to protect the majority of those most in need from the impact of increases in carbon tax rates.
“The government’s last anti-poverty strategy ran out at the end of 2017 – and there is no sign of a new strategy to replace it. It tells us all about how low a priority poverty and social inclusion are for this government.”
ENDS
11th October 2019