JOB-sharing and profit-sharing schemes are among the measures sought by the Society of St Vincent de Paul to tackle poverty.
The gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots" continues to widen, said Mr Noel Clear, the society's president, introducing its annual appeal.
An indication of the widening gap is the 8 per cent rise in spending by the society in the year to the end of March. It spent £16.5 million, an average of £82.50 for every individual helped.
Our society today is a consumer society driven by competitiveness with a central focus on the creation of wealth," Mr Clear said.
"Vincent de Paul believes that the challenge for us all is to create a more just society which respects the dignity of people, whatever their circumstances, and promotes a concern for an awareness of the most disadvantaged sections of our communities.
The society has called for measures to vindicate "a right to work and learn." They include:
. the extension of job-sharing to all areas of the labour market.
. the use of profit-sharing bonus schemes to "promote the ideal of a just week's pay for a just week's work".
. the elimination of examination fees for children of the needy.
A two-tier society had developed in Ireland, both North and South, Mr Clear said, and this was evident from the work of 11,000 Vincent de Paul volunteers.
The society is to devote more energy to seeking social change, its statement issued yesterday suggests. It is creating a social policy in conjunction with its clients and has set up a "justice desk" along with the Vincentian Fathers and the Daughters of Charity.
The purpose of this development, it says, is to identify the root causes of poverty and social injustice in Ireland and seek the changes required to create a more just and caring society.
Its activities cover a broad range: personal visitation, job-creation programmes, education grants and lobbying for social change, among many others.
Last year its income rose by 11 per cent to £17.5 million. Church collections accounted for the largest single slice of income at £4.5 million, followed by donations at £3 million.
The biggest area of spending was in cash assistance at just under £4 million. This was followed by spending on food and fuel at almost £3.5 million.
The society's annual appeal week starts on Sunday. "The demands on the society are especially heavy at this time of year," Mr Clear said.
"The extra pressures on the marginalised can be particularly difficult as the world around them builds up to the excitement and pleasures of Christmas."