EU Statistics Show Governments Real Achievement Has Been to Drive Down Anti-Poverty Spending
Published 19/03/2002

Speaking recently in Brussels, Dublin Labour MEP said," The Governments latest anti-poverty strategy report, Building an Inclusive Society, launched today by the Taoiseach should be seen in the context that EU statistics clearly show that spending on social protection in Ireland has been falling dramatically during this Governments term of office."

"In its October 2001 assessment of Government plans presented in June 2001 under the EUs anti-poverty strategy, the Commission pointed out that Member States with the most developed welfare states and with high per capita social expenditure levels tend to be most successful in ensuring access to basic necessities and keeping the numbers at risk of poverty well below the EU average.

The Commission went on to state that Ireland spends only 16% of GDP on social protection in 1998 (the lowest figure in the Union) and that such a level of social expenditure still represents a particular challenge for Ireland.

However, a report issued by the EUs statistical office Eurostat on January 25th 2002 clearly shows that the Irish situation is in fact worse than the Commission realised when making these comments. Eurostat figures show that Irelands spending on social protection (i.e. old age pensions, child benefit, childcare, disability and sickness benefits, unemployment, public housing etc) fell from 16.1% in 1998 to just 14.7% in 1999, the most recent year for which figures are available.

This figure of 14.7% is by far the lowest in Europe and is just half the EU average. The next lowest is Spain at 20% while Sweden was the highest, spending one-third of its wealth on social protection.

"To put the Irish performance into context, for every ¤1 million spent by Government on older people, people with disabilities and children etc. other European countries would have spent an average of ¤1.9 million while Sweden would have spent ¤2.2 million.

The Government may endlessly reel off spending proposals under the National Development Plan but the plans it presented today, just months away from the general election, cannot be divorced from the reality of a long-term declining commitment to social protection.

The plans also have to be put in the context of similar anti-poverty plans presented by the Government to Brussels last June under the EUs first ever specific anti-poverty strategy adopted in December 2000. However, the plan eventually presented by the Government was sharply criticised by both anti-poverty groups in Ireland and by the European Commission.

In an assessment last October, the Commission concluded the Irish plan was largely confined to descriptions of policy measures already in place, and that it did not provide a quantitative or qualitative critique nor any evaluation evidence from the first four years of the Anti-Poverty Strategy [adopted by the Rainbow Coalition in 1997]. It identified growing income disparity as a major problem in Ireland and said the Government had provided little trend information or detailed data on poverty such as poverty risk by geographical area or specific groups. It said the plan identifies future challenges in broad terms rather than specific objectives and it complained that NGOs working on poverty issues were not sufficiently involved in its preparation.

That key priorities in tackling poverty in Ireland would have to include enhancing investment in the provision of services (health, housing and transport) for those in low incomes, tackling rural and urban deprivation and implementing a social care infrastructure (especially for children and elderly). It will also need to concentrate on reducing growing income inequalities, the integration of refugees and migrants, as well as the independence and well-being of women. Targeting employment opportunities and raising educational achievements and literacy levels, will also need to be addressed."

 

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