That’s the question that was explored at Social Justice Ireland’s conference in Croke Park this past Tuesday.
Delegates will explore whether the basic income model is a utopian dream or a practical real world solution, says Fr Seán Healy.
Under a basic income system, every resident in the country would be entitled to a state payment, on an individual basis, without any means test or work requirement.
It would be sufficient to live a frugal but decent lifestyle without supplementary income from paid work.
The conference on Tuesday 22 November looked at how Ireland’s complex and cumbersome social protection system could be reformed, how all forms of work – paid and unpaid – could be equally valued, how we might foster increased creativity and innovation, and, ultimately, how we might pay for a basic income system.
The conference programme is available here.