2014-04-22 - Socio Economic Review 2014 - Full text and cover - FINAL

There are four key steps for such a debate to be worthwhile. It should:
1. Set out a detailed analysis and critique of the present situation;
2. Agree a vision for Ireland’s future – clarifying where Ireland should be in 10 to
15 years’ time;
3. Set out a comprehensive policy framework to address the challenges of moving
towards this future; and
4. Identify a range of specific policy initiatives to be taken within this framework.
Failure to promote and engage in such a debate has cost Ireland dearly in recent
decades. By failing to address such questions Ireland, in recent years has, for
example, allowed the single biggest transfer of resources from low and middle
income people to the rich and powerful in its history and accepted the false
justifications that enabled this to happen. The main beneficiaries of this transfer
have been parts of the corporate sector especially the bondholders and financial
institutions who took little or no ’hit’ for their gambling in Ireland’s private banking
sector. Other large corporates also benefitted as their privileged tax position
continues to be protected and they are not asked to make any contribution towards
Ireland’s rescue and ongoing recovery and development.
At the same time, poverty rose, unemployment reached record levels, emigration
escalated dramatically, waiting lists for social housing rose, child poverty, long-term
unemployment and the numbers of working poor people all became entrenched
parts of Ireland’s reality. Public services were reduced significantly. Charges were
introduced for many services while charges were increased in areas where they had
previously existed. Funding for the community and voluntary sector was cut
disproportionately at the very moment when the demand for their services was
increasing. The fact that the poorest 10% of the population had seen the biggest
proportionate fall in their income was more or less ignored.
Interestingly enough the situation across the EU is not much better. The European
Commission’s Social Protection Report for 2013 (published March 2014) shows the
social situation worsening across the Union. It states:
The latest figures on living and income conditions in the EU show that the EU
is not making any progress towards achieving its Europe 2020 poverty and social
exclusion target of lifting at least 20 million people from poverty and social
exclusion by 2020. There are 6.7 million more people living in poverty or social
exclusion since 2008, a total of 124.2 million people for the EU28 or close to 1
in 4 Europeans in 2012. Poverty and social exclusion has increased in more than
1/3 of the Member States in both 2011 and 2012. (European Commission Social
Report, 2014: 7)
8 Socio-Economic Review 2014