The most vulnerable in society

[Purple]

The only increase they got was maybe a €10/20 increase in their social over the last 10 years. They have already taken away their Christmas bonus and now they want to decrease their weekly allowances.

I think we both know that’s not true; there have been massive increases in social welfare over the last 10 years.

they didn't make it good during the good times like a lot of our "middle income earners" with their second houses, holiday homes, fancy cars etc. Our most vulnerable could never have afforded a home to start with never mind a second / third one.

Most middle income earners don’t have second or third homes. Most of those that do are utterly screwed now. Those that could never afford a home are better off than those who could afford one but have now lost their job.
BTW, if in your world middle income earners can buy investment properties, holiday homes and fancy cars what can rich people afford? Do you have to own your own jet to be rich?

This needs to be put in perspective - yes people have lost a lot of money through pay cuts / tax / job losses but if it comes down to it how many of them will you actually see homeless, begging on the streets etc.

Very few and if they do it will be because of social/medical reasons rather than economic ones, just as is the case with long-term unemployed people who end up homeless.

I worked for a charity for a number of years and the most vulnerable cases have been on the books for as long as I have been there. They have just been hanging on by the skin of their teeth

How much of that was down to inadequate funding and how much of it was down to inadequate people?

 

[staff]

I think we both know that’s not true; there have been massive increases in social welfare over the last 10 years.

Most middle income earners don’t have second or third homes. Most of those that do are utterly screwed now. Those that could never afford a home are better off than those who could afford one but have now lost their job.
BTW, if in your world middle income earners can buy investment properties, holiday homes and fancy cars what can rich people afford? Do you have to own your own jet to be rich?

Very few and if they do it will be because of social/medical reasons rather than economic ones, just as is the case with long-term unemployed people who end up homeless.

How much of that was down to inadequate funding and how much of it was down to inadequate people?

OK - I don't have the exact figures for the increases is social welfare but it is all relative (I couldn't find them). Whether it is €10/€20 or €50/€60 I know that my salary doubled in that timeframe - and it was not just because I had a generous boss - it was down to Charlie McCreevy changing the tax bands / lowering the tax percentages etc.

I know a few people who bought a second property over the last few years ago - OK they may be regretting it now but none of them are completely broke, they are still getting by and I wouldn't consider any of them "rich".

If you are referring to "inadequate funding" I presume you must mean from the Government which is what this boils down to. That they should not be reducing social welfare payments. Who are the "inadequate people" you refer to?

 

[z107]

That they should not be reducing social welfare payments.

This is probably off topic, but every has to come down.
Ireland needs to reduce borrowing. To do this, out goings have to come down.
We need to reduce:

1. Public sector pay and perks, starting from the top down.
2. Then social welfare.
3. Then minimum wage.

Preferably in that order. Then prices should come down.
If the cost of living halves then it doesn't matter that minimum wage and social welfare is also halved.

At the moment, Ireland is borrowing too much and companies are going bust because they can't get credit and costs are too high.

Isn't all this obvious by now?

Really, brian cowen should stand up and say he is reducing his pay, and that of the TDs to average industrial wage. We can work from there.

Unfortunately, with this strategy, mortgage holders are screwed.