Budget fails to impress on poverty

News Release

For immediate use 12 October 2004

Today’s budget announcement does not reassure NICVA that a proper plan will be developed soon to tackle poverty in Northern Ireland .

Around 175 voluntary and community organisations – representing older people, advice services, learning programmes, employment projects, rural interests, health initiatives, community groups and many others – have signed up to a NICVA demand for a tough new policy to tackle poverty and social exclusion.

“There are some good words in the budget announcement. Mr Pearson talks about building equality and social cohesion and he says the government is going to bring forward an anti-poverty strategy. But the targeting social need (TSN) policy has been failing us since 1991 and we have waited for years for a new policy that will actually improve the lives of children, adults and older people living in poverty ,” said Seamus McAleavey , NICVA’s Chief Executive.

“There is no indication in these budget figures that we will divert substantial resources to tackle poverty and inequality. Ploughing more money into education and health will not improve the position of people at the bottom unless we change our priorities ,” he added.

NICVA and its supporting organisations believe we need a radical shift to reduce the huge income gap between rich and poor – official figures show the earnings gap between the highest and lowest paid in Northern Ireland has risen from £300 to £500 per week in the last 13 years. We need to eliminate low wages, improve the health of the poor and create educational equality for everyone. We also need to switch our attention from the unemployment figures to the growing number of adults who are classified as ‘economically inactive’.

For more information please contact:

Paul Mc Gill, 028 9087 7777 or 0772 1746 805