The Budget came under strong attack yesterday from the president of the Society of St Vincent de Paul. Mr Noel Clear accused the Government of increasing the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Speaking at the presentation in Dublin of the society's annual report and of its appeal week, Mr Clear said: "It is simply not good enough in the midst of such obvious affluence that large sections of our population are effectively excluded from the benefits of this new, prospering Ireland.
"From our unique experience, we clearly proposed in our recent Budget submission an effective strategy - and one which Ireland can well afford - to deal with the causes of social injustice. I regret to say that the Minister chose to ignore our advice to widen tax bands and increase personal allowances and merely tinkered with social welfare benefits. He has effectively, therefore, increased the gap between the haves and the have-nots in this country."
In the past year, the society has spent over £1 million a month on helping people in need. The main item was cash assistance and food, which cost over £5.5 million for the year. Help with fuel, light and heat cost £1.6 million. Another £0.75 million was spent on essential clothing and furniture. Total expenditure was over £13 million.
The society is heavily dependent on public support. It received £2.4 million in State grants last year, but church collections brought in £4.5 million, donations £2.8 million and legacies £1.9 million.
"At this winter time of the year and as we approach Christmas there are many despairing calls for help to our conferences throughout the country," Mr Clear said.
"Families struggling on social welfare or low pay, single-parent families trying to brighten up Christmas for their children, elderly people living alone, wives whose husbands are in prison. Many of them are asking for help to buy basic needs and certainly not luxuries."