Sir, – Michelle Murphy of Social Justice Ireland (“Coronavirus: Time for a new social contract in Ireland”, Opinion, April 10th) has pointed out that in this present emergency the Government has boosted social security and other supports in a way that would have been unthinkable a few weeks ago.
Ms Murphy also argues that now is a good time to consider the introduction of a Universal Basic Income (UBI), so everyone in the State has an agreed minimum standard of income and services. I agree. Under pressure, our society is showing an extraordinary compassion for those whose livelihoods have been suddenly seriously compromised. Perhaps we are also learning to look at our priorities and to realise that there are more important things in life than “getting and spending”.
Even a quick examination of experiments with UBI (see Bregman’s Utopia for Realists) shows that there are real social benefits. Recipients, once the stress of poverty is removed, make better decisions in relation to health, jobs and education. UBI has reduced administrative cost because there is no need for means testing or investigation of fraud. All these are social goods leading to a more just society. – Yours, etc,
ALAN TUFFERY,
Raheny, Dublin 5.
Sir, – As we look forward soon to our escape from this State-enforced social isolation and quarantine which we all agree with, should we consider how to mark that occasion?
We might think about releasing those of us in this State who have to endure a variation of this way of life for many, many, months if not years without much prospect of when it will be lifted.
I am of course referring to what one writer called our dirty little secret of direct provision for asylum-seekers.
We should now have some inkling of what that feels like from the comfort of our own homes.
We actively campaign at NGO and government level for appropriate treatment for our own undocumented Irish abroad, blind or unsympathetic to what we have set up in our own country.
In years to come we will be spending money to figure out what went on, in a Magdalene laundry style State abuse inquiry.
We could at least construct a fig-leaf to partially hide our future national embarrassment by this one simple action. – Yours, etc,
JOHN O’CONNELL,
Letterkenny, Co Donegal.
Sir, – Given a likely 30 per cent plus unemployment level, and with our local businesses decimated, the core banks in Ireland post Covid-19 are going to face massive loan losses. The situation will be worse than the property bubble we are still living with. We will not return to the way things were. The main Irish banks will again likely revert to State ownership.
We need to look at what kind of banking structure Ireland needs going forward. The new programme for government has to address this.
The post second World War (for that is the kind of scenario we face) co-operative banking structure put in place in Germany at that time is a model for us. It worked well.
It’s not-for-profit co-operative ethos, not driven by capital markets, is a natural for Ireland and one we are well used to .
Just think of the agricultural co-operatives and the GAA. We need the programme for government to set up a banking commission to chart a way forward that will work for Ireland. – Yours, etc,
JAMES DEENY,
Rathgar, Dublin 6.