Press Release 4 February 2013
Meeting between Anti Poverty Network and Troika Delegation
‘Austerity measures’ are deepening poverty and creating new poverty traps
At 5pm today, a delegation from the European Anti Poverty Network will meet with the ECB, EC, IMF Troika to discuss their quarterly review of the Irish programme.
Paul Ginnell, EAPN Ireland Policy Officer and Bríd O’Brien, Policy Officer of the Irish Network of the Unemployed who chairs the EAPN Ireland policy group on Europe 2020, will present a paper outlining changes in the recent Budget and other policies which will deepen poverty and make it harder for unemployed people to take up work.
The delegates will express their concern that the Government is not fully implementing its commitment to ‘poverty proof’ all policies before adoption, leading to policies which hit the poor hardest.
Paul Ginnell said:
“In times of economic difficulty, it is more important than ever that the Government carefully considers the possible impact of new policies, including the Budget, on people at risk of poverty so as to avoid creating further hardship. Policies such as the reduction in the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance and the removal of the workers’ weekly PAYE allowance could be the final straw for people already experiencing hardship
“We are also concerned about changes which will not only increase poverty but create poverty traps making it harder to take up work even when it can be found.”
The submission outlines several such poverty traps:
- Changes in supports to lone-parents, including the reduction of the “earnings disregard” which made it possible to take up work.
- Reduction of the period for receipt on Jobseekers Benefit which will mean that many people will not be in receipt of these benefits long enough to qualify for certain programmes including Tus, Community Employment and the Back to Education – Third Level option.
- Discontinuation of the Cost of Education Allowance, including include travel, food, books, materials etc.
This is the second time that EAPN Ireland has contributed directly to the Troika Quarterly Review as part of a continuous contact with the Troika permanent delegation in Ireland.
The full submission is attachedInput to Troika Quarterly Review from EAPN Ireland