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Policy Issues Home

A wide range of material on many policy issues is available on this page.  This includes both material and commentary from Social Justice Ireland and material from other sources.  The policy issues are listed alphabetically in the menu on this page.

Many of Ireland's richest pay lower tax rates than ordinary working people

29th September 2018

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?

Social Housing Need: At least 110,000 households in need of sustainable social housing

28th September 2018

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.

For the good of the economy and for the good of society Ireland must reduce its inequality

28th September 2018

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.

Budget 2019 should invest in social infrastructure, rather than in tax cuts

24th September 2018

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.

Most Budget 2019 tax proposals would favour rich at expense of lower income workers

18th September 2018

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.

Joint Committee on Climate Action to further examine the Citizen’s Assembly Report How the State can make Ireland a leader in tackling Climate Change

12th September 2018

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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.

Over 12,800 local organisations are now members of Public Participation Networks

6th September 2018

Public Participation Networks (PPNs), made up of groups and organisations from the Environmental, Social Inclusion, and Community & Voluntary sectors, are influencing policy at a local and national level. And who knows what’s best for their communities better than local people themselves?

10,000 homeless (including 3,600 children), 87,000 households on waiting lists – Government policy is a dramatic failure

4th September 2018

The Government has failed to respond adequately to our nation’s housing crisis. There are almost 87,000 households on social housing waiting lists - over half of whom are families - and 10,000 homeless, of whom 3,600 are children. This is a national emergency. The impact of homelessness and precarious housing on our nation’s children will be felt for generations to come.

One million on hospital waiting lists and children sleeping in Garda stations – Ireland’s worsening crises

10th August 2018

The economy is growing, unemployment is low - so why are Ireland's crises deepening?

Social Justice Ireland welcomes the Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy, but greater urgency needed

30th July 2018

Last week (27th July 2018), the Government launched its Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy 2018-2021, aimed at bringing existing vacant properties back into use.  According to the CSO, there are over 183,000 vacant properties, excluding holiday homes, across the State.  Many of these could be brought under the control of the local authority or Approved Housing Bodies and used to provide social homes.  However, while Social Justice Ireland supports the intention of the Strategy, we note that it does not propose to actually bring these homes back into use until next year or the year after.

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