Widening inequality hitting most vulnerable

Media Release Community Platform – Widening inequality hitting most vulnerable

The Future Perspective of the Community Platform:

New paper calls for progressive taxation and investment in communities and public services to ensure the rights and welfare of the most vulnerable in Irish society.

The Community Platform, an alliance of 28 national organisations working against poverty and inequality in Ireland, today (Tuesday 14^th July), launched ‘A Future Perspective of the Community Platform’. It draws on data available to show the devastation caused by austerity policies and growing economic and social inequality in Ireland.  It poses specific challenges for government and all political parties to redress the damage to the lives of poor and marginalised communities caused over the past 6 years. It sets out a road map to build a more equal, inclusive and sustainable society.

Speaking on behalf of the Community Platform Edel McGinley said “It is essential that we take urgent action to undo the harm of austerity policies that have deepened poverty and inequality, incentivised low paid and insecure work, and increased discrimination. There is no evidence of recovery for many people and low income families are struggling to survive.”

McGinley went onto say “The lack of investment in public services continues to undermine our society’s ability to ensure those with the least have adequate supports and access to essential tailored public services. This coupled with the decimation of the community sector is deeply worrying as communities across Ireland become more and more distanced from decision makers and policies that affect their lives”.

Bríd O’Brien spokesperson for the CP said “austerity policies over the past 6 years have increased the rate of deprivation from 13.7% in 2007 to a staggering 30.5 % in 2013, the gender pay gap has widened from 12.6% to 14.4%, while the top 20% hold the same share of wealth as the bottom 60%”.

Robin Hanan, speaking for the Platform, said: “The Community Platform is calling on the Government and all political actors to invest in a renewed, innovative, independent and effective community sector working with resourced communities; a progressive tax system which moves towards the EU norm of 40% to 45% of GDP; and a renewal of public services and publicly funded services to begin to level the playing field”.