Bringing the income of every citizen in the State above the poverty line would cost less than the tax cuts in Budget 2000 did, the Conference of Religious in Ireland (CORI) has said.
The conference's justice commission called on the Government and the social partners "to commit themselves to eliminating relative income poverty in Ireland" during the time covered by the next national agreement.
CORI said yesterday that the cost of ensuring all adults had an income at or above the EU-recognised poverty line would be less than £400 million. Taking all children out of that poverty category would cost an additional £500 million, compared to the £1,200 million spent on tax cuts in the Budget.