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.
Society should reward people who have spent their lives in caring roles, but the current State Pension system deprives them of security in their old age. As the rollout of the Government’s Roadmap for Pensions Reform continues, an opportunity to increase the fairness of the Irish pension system is being missed, and at a substantial financial cost.
Recent commentary that homelessness in Ireland is ‘normal’ is completely without foundation. As the economy has continued to improve, the homelessness and housing crises have worsened. Family and child homelessness have increased by over 320 per cent since 2014. This is not normal, this demands an emergency response.
Specific interventions are required to tackle the problem of in-work poverty. Until Government makes tax credits refundable, it will not have an efficient mechanism by which it can address the issue of the working poor.
More than 760,000 people are living in poverty in Ireland, of which over 230,000 are children, despite some small improvements in poverty and deprivation rates. These are the figures released today by the CSO from the annual Survey on Income and Living Conditions.
700,000 on healthcare waiting lists, 500,000 homes without broadband, over 11,000 people homeless – a result of Government policy failing to tackle causes - Social Justice Ireland publishes National Social Monitor Winter 2018.
We have strongly advocated on economic and social issues and consistently highlighted fair and progressive options that are available to Government within the Budgetary process. Here are some of the policy areas we have consistently highlighted in our budgetary proposals and where progress has been made.
Budget 2019 was an opportunity to fix, or begin to fix, many of the unjust policy moves implemented during the financial crisis. Several policy changes were enacted during that time which were arbitrary in nature: unfair, unjustifiable, and purely for the purpose of saving money. Reducing Jobseeker's rates for young people was one of these.
Budget 2019 marks the third Budget of the current Government. We track the cumulative impact of changes to income taxation and welfare over the Government’s three Budgets.
17th of October is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. In this era of increasing global wealth and economic growth it is important to highlight the large numbers of people living in poverty both here in Ireland and globally. It is also a day to point to the policy options available that can improve the living conditions for all. We can and should implement these policies without delay.
In order to improve the wellbeing of everyone in society, at all stages of the life cycle, it is vital that our policies address the causes of problems rather than their symptoms only. It is through this lens that Social Justice Ireland examines the ten policy areas in the National Social Monitor.
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.
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.
