Time for Government to put fairness first and deliver positive change
In the latest edition of Social Justice Ireland’s national social monitor, 'Putting Fairness First', outlines policies and proposals that would support Government in putting fairness at the heart of the programme for government and deliver positive outcomes. This edition of the National Social Monitor does not attempt to cover all the commitments made in the programme for government, but it does make proposals in key areas such as housing, income, employment, health and education that would put fairness first.
Housing
Despite growth in new dwelling commencements, housing completion rates remain slow. The decline in apartment completions is particularly concerning as apartments will play a crucial role in increasing housing supply in urban areas, providing options for young professionals, small households, and those looking to right-size their homes as our demography shifts.
To address the slow rate of completion Government should increase investment in the promotion of Modern Methods of Construction with binding targets for at least 25 per cent of all State-backed housing to use these construction methods. In addition, Government should set a target of 20 per cent of all housing stock to be social housing and achieve this through directly building more social housing and decentralising responsibility for social housing to Local Authorities.
Employment
The commitment to create 300,000 new jobs by 2030 is ambitious. However, this must be complemented by policies to ensure workers have access to adequate and quality infrastructure, public services and housing to support these jobs. Job creation must prioritise high-quality employment with fair pay and conditions.
Although there have been significant improvements in unemployment rates over the past decade, challenges remain both in terms of older workers, and youth unemployment. By the end of 2024, youth unemployment accounted for almost three in every ten unemployed people in Ireland, an issue that Government should take seriously given the long-term social and economic consequences for these young people, and for the State.
In order to address these challenges, Social Justice Ireland proposes that Government adopt policies to address the worrying issue of youth unemployment. In particular, these should include education and literacy initiatives as well as retraining schemes. In addition, it should also develop a bespoke policy approach for older workers facing the pre-retirement years in unemployment.