Irish Catholic bishops have called on the Government
to end its “devastating and demoralising” policies of austerity ahead
of the budget.
The call was made at the end of a two-day general meeting
of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Saint Patrick’s College,
Maynooth.
“Bishops wish to draw attention to the
joint appeal to Government by seven Catholic social justice groups which
are calling for an end to the devastating and demoralising austerity
policies that have characterised annual budgets of recent years. Any
further reduction in income – direct or indirect – will have serious
consequences, threatening the wellbeing of the individuals and families
concerned, and damaging social cohesion, which is an essential
foundation for lasting and sustainable economic recovery.”
“With
each successive budget since the beginning of the current crisis, many
of those we work with have seen a steady erosion of the supports that
should be available to protect them from poverty, and enable them to
provide for themselves and their families.”
The bishops said the cumulative impact of
these factors was “both widening and deepening social exclusion with a
consequent rise in inequality”. They said decisions in social and
economic policy in recent years have given rise to a “culture of blame”.
The
bishops also expressed “deep gratitude” to those who “showed their
concern in a respectful way” when challenging the passage of the
Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill. They reserved “particular”
praise for national public representatives “that did so at great
political risk to themselves”.