Sir, – According to the headline on Patricia King's article, "Ireland [is] still one of the most unequal societies in the EU" (July 3rd). This is misleading.
TASC's annual report on economic inequality Cherishing All Equally 2017, recently showed that in terms of income before transfers, Ireland is certainly the most unequal society in the EU. Yet what matters to most of us is how much money we actually get in our bank accounts – our income after taxes and after benefits. In these terms, Ireland is a rather normal European country. Eurostat 2015 data puts Ireland 14th out of 28 member states.
Our think tank’s report showed that in Ireland the welfare state improves overall income equality more than in any European country. Ireland is an extreme case in terms of the extent of low pay and also the number of workless households. As Patricia King rightly says, strong trade union organisation is the best antidote to low pay and inequality. In the meantime, it is the heavy lifting by the State that makes Ireland not one of the most unequal societies in the EU. – Yours, etc,
Prof JAMES WICKHAM,
Director,
TASC – Think-tank
for Action on Social Change,
Parliament Street,
Dublin 2.