The Government has been accused of protecting the rich while failing to address unemployment and emigration.
Social justice campaigner Fr Sean Healy maintained current
policies do not address the core issues needed for real economic
recovery, including better social protection and improved governance.
He said the working poor should not be victimised by the tax system,
which he maintained needs to be overhauled to increase the overall tax
take.
"A fractured society, a weak economy and persistently high unemployment do not constitute real recovery," Fr Healy added.
"Government continues to protect the rich at the expense of the rest
of us while failing to address issues such as unemployment and
emigration. Real recovery requires macroeconomic stability, just
taxation, enhanced social protection, improved governance and real
sustainability - none of which are part of current Government policy."
In its socio-economic review, Social Justice Ireland maintained 16%
of the population, more than 731,000 people, are living in poverty
including 230,000 children and 100,000 working poor.
It stated the social welfare system is not fit
for purpose in the 21st century and called for payments and tax credits
to be replaced with a basic income to keep households above the poverty
line.
It also raised concerns over the 14% unemployment rate, which it
claimed was being kept down by growing emigration, and warned the
Government policy has given little attention to the long-term
unemployment crisis.
"The austerity programme is contributing to Ireland's loss of young
people, the implications of which are stark as this loss will pose
significant problems for economic recovery," Fr Healy continued.
"The
emigration 'brain drain', which in some quarters is being heralded
perversely as a 'safety valve', is in fact a serious problem for Ireland
and may well lead to a skills deficit in the long term."
The review, What Would Real Recovery Look Like?, used official
figures to analyse the economic and social challenges facing the Irish
public and the impact of policies being implemented by the Government.
It said poorer people who rely on public services, the voluntary sector
and social housing are the most acutely affected by the cutbacks and
inequalities in the health service.