Sir, - I refer to Kitty Holland's excellent article on poverty (July 17th). The facts therein are grossly disturbing, as is the flippant and blase comment which was attributed to Mr Dermot Ahern, Minister for Local, Community and Family Affairs. He was quoted as saying that the fact that Ireland has been found to have the second-highest level of poverty in the industrialised world for the second year in a row is "not a matter of any great embarrassment." This statement beggars belief.
At a time in history when we have, or are reputed to have, a surplus of £5 billion, it is an indictment of the Government that almost one-fifth of the citizens on this tiny island live below the poverty line. Many people do not see this poverty. They have no knowledge of it and therefore cannot grasp the depth and extent of disadvantage within our society. Mr. Liam O'Dwyer of the Society of St Vincent de Paul says "the affluent classes can exist without even coming into contact with poverty - they drive from affluent area to affluent area, never witnessing deprivation, never even using public transport."
The latest research from the Economic and Social Research Institute shows that budgetary policy favoured higher earners in the years 1994 to 1998. Lower income groups fell further behind in the four-year period as tax cuts favoured the better-off.
In the latest edition of Tax and Welfare Changes, Poverty and Work Incentives in Ireland, Professor Liam Callan and Mr Brian Nolan found that, in contrast to previous years, the income of the poorest in society rose more slowly than average wages between 1994 and 1998.
An OECD report some years ago found Ireland's levels of adult illiteracy to be second only to Poland's, of the states it examined. These facts give the lie to our ridiculous boast of Ireland being an island of saints and scholars". Some 23 per cent of the population are functionally illiterate, i.e. they have difficulty reading a bill or instructions on a medicine bottle.
Is it not time that the Government faced reality and stopped all this hype and patting itself on the back? Politicians have been elected to bring a sense of order to the lives of the people they represent. We need more sensible discussion of what we appear to be doing with all the wealth we are suddenly earning.
The measure of any man or woman is how they treat the less fortunate in our society. The old adage rings true: "By their deeds shall we know them." - Yours, etc., Deirdre Kenneally,
Glanmire Court, Co Cork.