A coalition of NGOs has accused the Government of taking money out of the pockets of the poor to pay for the excesses of the rich.
The group also urged Ministers to protect vulnerable people in the upcoming Budget on December 7th.
In a briefing paper published today, the 17 members of the Community and Voluntary Pillar of Social Partnership said vulnerable people should not be "sacrificed for budget stabilisation".
"It is very clear to us that vulnerable people and people experiencing discrimination and inequality have already been severely affected by cutbacks on much needed services and supports."
"These people who had no hand act or part in creating the current economic downturn are paying too high a price in Government plans for recovery," said the group's spokesman Ivan Cooper.
The group proposed a five point recovery strategy, which would: increase the tax take; secure better value for money in the delivery of public services; reform the public sector; cut spending; and target spending no the common good.
It said people who can afford it should contribute more and vulnerable people must not pay the price of recovery.
Social Justice Ireland director Seán Healy said Ireland's total tax take was one of the lowest in the developed world at 29.4 per cent of gross domestic product. He said this was 10 percentage points below the EU average tax take and only Romania, Latvia and Slovakia had lower percentage tax takes within the EU.
"The implications for our public services will be severe if this low-tax approach is maintained," said Fr Healy, who recommends raising the tax take to 34.9 per cent of GDP in coming years.
He said the group does not accept that targeting low earners is the best or the fairest way to widen the tax base or increase the tax take. He said other fairer options existed such as abolishing the tax breaks which benefit well-off people.