"An opportunity squandered . . . A chance to make a real impact on poverty missed." A despondent Sister Stanislaus Kennedy spoke last night of her reaction to the Budget: "We may never again have such an opportunity to create a more just and caring society," was her ominous conclusion.
As president of Focus Ireland, the voluntary organisation which provides a range of services and housing for homeless people, Sister Stanislaus knows first-hand the "alienation and suffering" experienced by certain sections of the community.
She welcomed the increase in social welfare payments and the tax cuts afforded by the Budget. "But at the end of the day the money will be whittled away with the increased cost of living. We have never seen such extremities of wealth and poverty," she said.
"The upmarket areas in our towns and the Celtic Tiger are contrasted with the disintegrating poorer areas in the community.
"It is embarrassing that travellers live in Third World conditions at the side of the road, that homeless people sleep in doorways. And it affects everyone.
"Crime, violence, drugs and the neglect of families and children are all on the increase. Ignoring the root of the problem is putting all of society at risk."
What the Government needed to do, she said, was invest "in the future of our people" and work towards "a more equitable distribution of wealth". Money should be "given back" to the communities, to local authorities, to families and to children in order to give them back some responsibility. This required an investment in the short-term but would lead to a more stable society in the long-term.