Social Justice Ireland is an independent think tank and justice advocacy organisation that seeks to build a just society. We provide independent social analysis and evidence-based policy proposals, with the aim of creating a sustainable future for every member of society and for societies as a whole. In all of this, we focus on human rights and the common good.
Budget 2019 fails to make any notable impact on Ireland’s entrenched inequalities and fails to tackle any of the major challenges the country currently faces.
Budget 2019 failed to grasp the nettle of real reform in areas such as housing, healthcare, education and so on. In this short presentation, we bring you through the Highs and Lows of Budget 2019 and how it affects you, your PPN and your community.
Budget 2019 will be announced on Tuesday, 9th October, at 1pm. But what is the Budget, how does it affect you and how can you have your say? Click on our Slideshow to find out.
On Thursday, 4th October 2018, the Dáil passed a motion to declare housing and homelessness a national emergency. The motion, following a demonstration by over 10,000 people and brought by Solidarity – People before Profit, called on Government to declare this emergency and to do something to increase the supply of affordable, sustainable homes.
Some of Ireland's richest have a taxable income of less than the average industrial wage, with many paying income tax at a lower rate than the average taxpayer. What can government do in Budget 2019 to counter this highly unfair situation?
On Wednesday (26th September 2018), the Housing Agency published its now annual Summary of Housing Assessments for 2018. Figures gathered in June of this year show that 71,858 households were assessed as being in need of social housing, compared to 85,799 in 2017. However, while the apparent reduction of 13,941 has been heralded by Minister for State Damien English as “a positive sign of the success of the Rebuilding Ireland Actions Plan so far”, the truth is that the housing crisis is worsening as Government continues to look to the private sector for solutions.
With 800,000 people in poverty, record numbers on healthcare waiting lists and more than 3,800 children homeless, Ireland is a profoundly unequal place. Inequality hurts the economy, leading to unstable economic growth and employment, higher debt, housing bubbles and increased homelessness. Substantial evidence has emerged in recent years to support the view that economies and societies perform better across a number of different metrics, from better health to lower crime rates, where there is less inequality.
Ireland now has the resources to ensure that Budget 2019 addresses the key challenges facing Irish people. Adopting the measures Social Justice Ireland are proposing, each of which has been fully costed and is accompanied by a proposed funding method, would move Ireland in the direction of becoming a fairer, more equal society.
Just two of the income taxation proposals currently under consideration for Budget 2019 would produce fair outcomes: an increase in the personal tax credit for everyone or a reduction in the 0.5% and 2% USC rates. The impact of most income tax proposals currently being considered by government would give far greater benefit to people earning higher incomes than to lower income employees.
The Joint Committee on Climate Action is meeting this morning to further discuss the Report of the Citizen’s Assembly with representatives from the Climate Change Advisory Council and the Environmental Pillar.
Our SDGs policy briefing Inequality looks at inequality in Ireland, wealth inequality, international inequality and gender inequality all of which are currently issues of concern for many people. It discusses some key causes of inequality, identifies a range of costs that follow from inequality and concludes with some proposals on how inequality could be reduced.
Some Reflections on Inequality in Ireland’ is part of Social Justice Ireland’s Policy Research Series. It reflects on the reality of equality and the myths that enable its persistence. It looks at inequality in economics and the ideologies in public policy that have produced the present unequal situation across the world.
Social Justice Ireland published Fairness and Changing Income Taxes: September 2018 on 18th September. The study assesses the fairness of seven possible income taxation options, each with a full-year cost of between €254m to €348m; equivalent to between 1.2% and 1.6% of the annual income taxation yield.
With 10,000 people - including 3,600 children - homeless, 72,000 mortgages in arrears, and 87,000 households on social housing waiting lists, it can hardly be denied that Government policy is a dramatic failure.
Watch Social Justice Ireland'sBudget Choices Seminar, which was streamed live from Buswells Hotel on Tuesday June 5th.
Dr. Seán Healy, Colette Bennett and Eamon Murphy talk through our budgetary proposals for 2019, including our analysis of the various crises and infrastructural deficits faced by Ireland, and our revenue-raising measures that can help tackle them.
Social Justice Ireland marks UN World Day of Social Justice each year with a seminar looking at Ireland's progress to date in meeting our responsibilities under the Global Goals. You can view video footage of the seminar here.
Social Justice Ireland were honoured to have President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins deliver the key note address at our 30th Annual Social Policy Conference. Click here to watch the video of his presentation, or download his paper, entitled On The DiscourseThat We Need.
This year's conference featured an excellent and diverse line-up of speakers from Spain, Italy, Germany, the USA, and Ireland. The key note address was delivered by President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins. Click in to download papers from the conference, watch the presentations, see our handy summary graphics, or download the entire conference booklet for free.
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