There will be nearly 1 million people aged 65 and over by 2031 – an increase of 86.4 per cent.  Of these 136,000 will be aged 85 or over by 2031, an increase of 132.8 per cent.  Now is the time to plan Ireland’s investment in services and infrastructure. This is one of the key issues highlighted in the National Social Monitor 2016.

Social Justice Ireland welcomes the publication of the Government’s Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness.  However, we have concerns about the scale of the plan and the length of time it implies for eliminating Ireland’s housing crisis.

Despite falling rates of unemployment and almost 47,000 jobs (net) being created in the year to end Q1 2016, the Jobs Gap stood at 166,200 at the end of March, and overall the economy was 193,100 jobs short of its peak performance in 2007. The "Jobs Gap” is the number of jobs that must be created in order to return to the peak employment levels of 2007, while adjusting for changes in the make-up of the labour force. It is a realistic indicator of the number of jobs required to meet demand, accounting for things like migration and demographic trends.

Since the onset of the recession the number of people in poverty in Ireland has increased by more than 100,000.   Today there are more than 750,000 people living in poverty in Ireland; this is a major concern.  More than 57 per cent of those in poverty are not connected to the labour market; they are people who are retired, students, people in caring roles or people who are ill or people with a disability.