Seán Sherlock: ‘It takes a generation of work to change a generation of hurt’

This week in Geneva, a UN committee has been examining Ireland’s record in protecting human rights. In this paper and elsewhere, NGOs and academics have been critical of the record of “government” in this area, particularly from an economic perspective. A common failing of the criticism, however, has been to distinguish between this Government’s record and that of its predecessor. There is a world of difference.

For a start – and this must be re-emphasised – this Government inherited the worst economic crisis in the State’s history. Had we not taken firm and resolute action to tackle it, that crisis would be continuing today. One need only look at the situation in Greece – where growth forecasts have been slashed again – to see this.

The Government has achieved the first part of our task – building the recovery – thanks mainly to the endurance and effort of the people. Now we have begun the second phase – securing that recovery and spreading the benefits.

The 2015 budget increased welfare in key areas, reduced taxes for all workers, and increased investment by €1 billion. These are points most critics have failed to acknowledge. It’s as if, in their mind, the recovery is an inconvenient truth.

Yet a strong and prosperous economy, which helps society to thrive, is crucial to upholding people’s basic rights. The 2009 budget was supposedly progressive. However it took almost €9.5 billion out of the economy, slashed social welfare, and hiked taxes.

Living standards

On the economic front, for example, the Government’s strategy is to restore living standards, reward work and help those on welfare into work.

The programme for government states equality is at the heart of our democracy. Everyone has the right to be free from discrimination.

We have taken steps to promote greater co-ordination and integration of services to the Traveller community, particularly in education.

The reforms in gender-recognition legislation currently being brought through the Oireachtas place Ireland in the most progressive group of countries for transgender people.

We are reforming the law on employees’ right to engage in collective bargaining – the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2001) – to ensure compliance by the State with judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.

We are promoting policies which integrate minority ethnic groups, and which promote social inclusion, equality, diversity and the participation of immigrants in the economic, social, political and cultural life.

The years of the crisis, overseen by the previous administration, saw some groups suffer more than others.

However, this Government’s focus has been to protect the vulnerable and marginalised to the greatest extent possible while the job of building recovery was under way. We have done this through maintaining core weekly rates of welfare payments, making targeted welfare increases as soon as resources were available.

Safety net

Again, that we have maintained such a strong social welfare safety net during the worst of economic times is a point completely lost on – or ignored by – the critics.

According to Eurostat, Ireland is the best-performing country in the EU in reducing poverty through social transfers at 63 per cent, compared to an EU average of 36 per cent

Since 2013, the Department of Social Protection has published a social impact assessment of the annual budget. Social impact assessment is also used for consideration of policy proposals in advance of the budget.

For Budget 2016, the Government has agreed a social impact assessment of tax and welfare measures will be carried out by a cross-departmental body led by the Departments of Finance, Social Protection and Public Expenditure and Reform, before publishing the budget.

Have we further to travel? Of course, but now we have set ourselves on the right path economically, the challenge is to bring society with us. It takes a generation of work to change a generation of hurt. Society and economic policy must complement each other to provide a country fit for all of us to live in. Seán Sherlock is Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, with special responsibility for Development, Trade Promotion and North South Co-Operation. He chairs the Interdepartmental Committee on Human Rights