The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) has urged the Government to help poorer people with rising fuel costs after it emerged that the charity has spent €1 million supporting families who have had their gas and electricity supplies disconnected.
It is one of a number of steps it wants the Government to address in the forthcoming budget which would help address the poverty and disadvantage affecting many communities.
The rising cost of fuel is one of the most pressing issues facing families, according to volunteers, in the light of price hikes affecting gas and electricity. The charity has called for an extension to the payment of fuel allowances from the beginning of September to late April. It also wants a weekly fuel allowance of €24, or its equivalent in units of electricity or gas for social welfare recipients.
The four broad areas the charity wants action on are tackling inadequate incomes, addressing the housing "crisis", addressing education costs, and supporting health care costs.
Professor John Monaghan, the society's national vice president, said that while last year's budget was positive, these four key areas needed to be tackled to improve the lot of those who have not benefited from our economic success.
"It is still the daily experience of our members, supported by independent evidence, that poverty and distress is most commonly found in low-income families with children and this fact has strongly influenced our pre-budget submission this year".
Among the measures the society is calling for are:
• A €23 increase in the weekly adult social welfare rate to €188.80
• Increases in non- contributory pensions by at least €18 to €200 per week
• An increase in tax credits, so those on the minimum wage stay outside the tax net
• A consistent, countrywide subsidy for domestic waste charges for low income households and those on social welfare, along with a more flexible, frequent charging system
On housing, more than 43,000 households are still on local authority waiting lists for social housing. The society wants a greater focus on the delivery of social housing and says 10,000 units are needed per year between 2007 to 2012.
On education, the SVP says more needs to be done to give poorer people the same educational chances as others from wealthier backgrounds. Among its recommendations are a new back-to-school allowance worth €300 for primary school students and €475 for children over 12. This would cover clothing, footwear, books and related costs.
It also wants full medical cards to be provided to 275,000 people to restore the levels of coverage that existed five years ago.
