Oxfam Report on Austerity, Poverty, Inequality

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Hard Talk from Oxfam

Oxfam have issued a report on austerity in Ireland which states that the country will most probably experience a rise in inequality, poverty, and emigration.

The report stated that the austerity programmes; “bear a striking resemblance to the ruinous structural adjustment policies imposed on Latin America, South-East Asia, and sub-Sahara Africa in the 1980s and 1990s”.

It states in a dire warning that “left unchecked, these measures will undermine Europe’s social gains, creating divided countries and a divided continent, and entrenching poverty for a generation”.

Some Stated Statistics

• The report states that in 2011 there were some 120 million people in the EU were in the poverty trap and the figure could rise by a further 25 million.
• Women will be the hardest hit by austerity.
• The report projects an erosion of Trades Unions, collective bargaining, and workplace rights. This will further add to the already established trend in poverty among working people.
• Cuts to public services will result in people losing their jobs,
• At the same time voluntary institutions that support people in times of hardship will be weakened or even shut down through declining funding.
• It could take between 10 – 25 years for poverty to return to pre-2008 levels.

Some alternative strategies suggested by Oxfam;

• Invest in people and economic growth.
• Invest in public services.
• Strengthen institutional democracy.
• Tax fairly

The Oxfam report also suggested:

• That the EU needs to tackle unsustainable European public debt
• Address major flaws in the EU financial system
• That citizens of Europe ... need to increase their political engagement in order to influence government policy.
• We need to change course to avoid a lost European decade.

Regarding Ireland

Oxfam’s report on Ireland says that although the programme for recovery is ahead of target, the austerity measures “have had a devastating impact on people already struggling with rising unemployment and levels of indebtedness”.

The report said that the poorest are hit hardest by the recession, with a “shocking array of welfare cuts and tax increases” being introduced since 2008 “that have driven more and more people into debt and poverty”.

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Sustainable Cost of Living

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Austerity 

can 

Cause Death

One of the more recent public statistical figures to emerge, directly linked to the imposed Austerity programme along with increased taxation in Ireland, is that one - in - six cars on Irish roads are running on over worn tyres. Gee - I wonder why that is the case?

Ireland is largely a rural country. Most of the working population has to use private transport to access jobs, simply because efficient public transport is a mere dream or rather a joke! 

Fuel prices have increased some 50% in recent years, Road Tax or MotorTax even for a modest car is over €500 per year or about €10 per week. Insurance costs have risen, and additionally VAT has been increased. Also a household charge or Poll Tax of €200 per year now applies to modest residences, and food and heating costs have increased. All that taking from disposable income while in many cases, actual wages or income has DECREASED.

Perhaps that is why people cannot afford to keep their cars up to full scratch.

I have a feeling that austerity will go down in history as a very bad strategy.


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President Higgins Address to the EU Parliament

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President Higgins' 

Address to the EU Parliament

I have just finished watching a recording of President Michael D. Higgins' address to the European Parliament. The address was both powerfully impassioned and solidly reasoned. President Higgins, in no uncertain terms, called on that intuition to change it's emphasis and re-establish the principles of democracy, ethics, and solidarity with it's citizens, especially those who were suffering and felt dis-enfranchised.

He strongly criticised the austerity programmes which ignored the sufferings of the citizens and were driven by faulty economic thinking, and by unaccountable institutions such as rating agencies.

This was a very inspired and heartfelt address. My hope is that some few of the Members will have heard and understood the essence of the address, and will have the focus to action some of the suggestions.

http://www.rte.ie/news/player/2013/0417/3519522-president-michael-d-higgins-addresses-the-european-parliament/




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