Implementation of the new social partnership agreement, Towards 2016, would make Ireland a fairer society where everyone's social and economic rights were respected, the Conference of Religious in Ireland's Justice spokesman has said. Fr Seán Healy describes the new agreement as a "major breakthrough in social policy".
He particularly praises Government commitments to increase the lowest social welfare rate for a single person to 30 per cent of the gross average industrial earnings; to provide 27,000 social housing units in the first three years of the agreement; to provide 500 primary care teams by 2011 and to develop a family carers strategy.
"One of the top priorities for Cori Justice in these negotiations was to secure a benchmark for the lowest social welfare payments," says Fr Healy. The commitment to increase welfare rates "means that the lowest social welfare rate for a single person will be raised by €20 a week in the budget for 2007". This is "very welcome".
In a commentary on the new agreement, Cori says research indicates 140,000 people with jobs are at risk of poverty. "Consequently, the commitment contained in the national agreement to give an additional 0.5 per cent pay rise to those earning less than €10.25 per hour is also a welcome development."
It continues that no agreement was reached on how to address child poverty. This "needs to be addressed urgently" and so the commitment to address it "within one year is welcome".
Cori also describes promises to consult social partners on care for the elderly and to establish one child and adolescent mental health team for every 100,000 people as "significant initiatives in terms of developing a fairer health system".
It notes further commitments to expand the income limits for the carer's allowance, to review the scope for further development of this allowance as well as of the carer's benefit and the respite care grant.
It says the agreement promises dividends in areas including education, the situation of Travellers, unemployment, support for the voluntary sector and migration policy. Overall, says Cori, the agreement will mean that many of Ireland's infrastructural deficits, especially in social housing, will be addressed; service provision will be improved in healthcare, education, social care and employment services; every person will be closer to having an income enabling them to live with dignity, and people will be able to participate actively in their own and their community's development.
