45126-Invest. Qual-No111

Investment in QualityAn incremental process of reducing complexity in the social welfaresystem and increasing fairness (providing similar levels of supportfor people with similar needs, notwithstanding the different reasonsfor them being in need in the first place) has taken the path oflevelling up the lowest payments. 5 Six means-tested programmescurrently pay Ireland’s lowest weekly income maintenance paymentfor an adult, which is now received by approximately 250,000people; another 35,000 adults and 207,000 children are indirectlydependent on its level (Table 7.9). The rate was €124.80 a week asof January, 2003, and the Programme for Government (July, 2002)has made a commitment to raise this to €150 per week in 2002terms by 2007. The six programmes all apply to people of workingage, some of whom have a status in the labour force while many donot. Being a member or not of the labour force is frequently not afixed characteristic for many individuals. This can be particularlytrue for women, younger people (under 25) and older people (over55), people whose participation rates are typically influenced by theoverall level of unemployment and strength of aggregate labourmarket demand.NAPS (1997) considered a life without poverty to require asufficiency of “income and resources” (italics added) such that aperson can live life with dignity in their society; it further specifiedthat the resources in question can be “material, cultural and social”.The Revised NAPS (2002) commits the Government to ensuringpeople have access to “sufficient income …to live in a mannercompatible with human dignity” and specifies that such an incomewill be “the net effect of all policies impacting on income levels inthe community (e.g., employment, tax, social welfare, pensions)”(no. 11, italics added).5. The latest step was taken in January, 2002, when recipients of Short-TermUnemployment Assistance and Supplementary Welfare Assistance had a €2per week discrepancy closed.310