Madam, - I quite agree with Sister Stanislaus Kennedy that those who have done well from the economic miracle of recent years should not be favouring tax cuts when those who live on the real floor of poverty need huge investment to lift them out of their desperate situation ( The Irish Times, March 31st).
If this were not true, organisations such as the St Vincent de Paul, Focus Point, and the Peter McVerry Trust, as well as the health services, would not have to deal with growing numbers of people who need not only to be housed but looked after by highly qualified social care workers.
The Indian government's programme to defeat poverty by the year 2020 using the gains from its growing economy features one most important principle: that the poor must not only be given welfare, but also suitable education to enable them to have the will and determination to climb out of poverty. Every social worker one meets in India keeps making the same point: "Educate, educate and educate".
We are not going to solve our huge problem without establishing special schools designed solely to provide an educational programme to guide these young children and parents out of poverty. From experience, I find quite frequently that those who have benefited from being looked after increasingly slip back later on because - through no fault of their own - they do not have the mind or ability to hold on and then move on.
The State therefore needs to carry out a huge survey, area by area, to see where to establish schools not only to provide this specialised type of education, but also facilities for looking after students after school hours while their parents are out working and youth clubs to go to at night instead of wandering around the streets getting into trouble. Of course none of these special schools would eliminate the necessity for our normal primary schools in these areas. I do, however, wish to acknowledge the existing commitments of the State and especially of the many charities that carry out this work with compassion and care.
My vote will be for the political parties which will not only continue to support our economic drive but use some of its proceeds to support an extensive programme finally to eradicate our unacceptable level of poverty of both mind and body. It is our moral duty to see that this is carried out and I think if we insist on it we will be a much happier nation and better able to enjoy and handle our success. - Yours, etc,
IVAN HAMMOND, Chairman, Belvedere Social Services, Botanic Road, Dublin 9.