A programme for government to be proud of

1 8 March 2016

POLITICS

A programme

for government

to be proud of

The Community Platform proposes

values of economic and social justice,

social inclusion, human rights, equality,

participation, and sustainability

by Edel McGinley

he nextProgramme for Government must

makechoicesinfavourofthosewhohavethe

leastandhavebeenhitthehardestbyauster-

ity.Thisrequiresnotjustacommitmentto

guaranteeingtherightsandwelfareofthe

most vulnerableinsociety,butalso afocus onthe

values needed in building a strong and cohesive

society.

TheCommunityPlatform,anetworkof29national

networksandorganisationsworkingtoaddresspov-

erty,socialexclusion,andinequality,hasproposed

thattherst,fundamentalstepmustbetoadoptvalues

ofeconomicandsocialjustice,socialinclusion,human

rights,equality,participation,andsustainability.

Voteforstability(andprogress).Thesewerethemain

slogansoftheoutgoingGovernmentpartiesinghting

theelection.Itishardtoseeeitherinthewakeofaus-

terityandthedevastatingcutstoourcommunitiesand

thecommunitysector.Spirallinghomelessnessand

inadequatehousing,thehealthcrisisandthecollapse

ofthevisionofuniversalhealthcareinthecommunity,

low-paidandinsecurework,thelackofprovisionof

safeTravelleraccommodationandchildpovertyare

shockingindicatorsoffailedgovernance.

Thiswasbroughtintostarkfocusbythetragicdeaths

oftenTravellers,includingvechildren,atatemporary

haltingsiteinCarrickmines;themotherwithherthree

youngchildrenlivingandsleepinginacarinTallaght;

thestate-sanctionedpovertyofchildrengrowingupin

directprovision;cutstomedicalcardsforchildrenwith

life-threateningdiseases;the91-year-oldmanwaiting

29hoursonatrolleyinAccidentandEmergency;and

thefatheroftwolivingontheminimumwageandcrying

ashedidnotknowhowtofeedhischildren.Thisiscer-

tainlynotprogress.

Ensuringprogressrequiresaparadigmshiftinthe

wayweorganiseoureconomyandredistributewealth.

A commitment to a progressive and equitable tax

systemiskeyandshouldprovidethebedrockinaPro-

grammeforGovernment.Thisshouldbethestarting

pointinamoveawayfromalowtax,lowpay,andlow

publicinvestment-economy.Wewantacountryrunfor

itspeoplenotforitseconomy.

Develop a progressive tax regime

• EnsureataxtakeaspercentageofGDPofbetween

40%and45%.Increasetheincome-taxrateforhigh

earners.

• Introduceawealthtaxonallassetsforhighearners.

• IncreaseCapitalGainsTaxandCapitalAcquisitions

Tax.

• IntroduceaFinancialTransactionsTax.

• Introducearefundabletaxcreditsystemforpeople

onlowincomes.

Thelackofinvestmentinpublicservicesundermines

oursociety’sabilitytoensurethosewiththeleasthave

accesstoessential,tailoredsupportsandservices.

WhiletheerosionofpublicservicesaffectsallinIrish

society,itdisproportionallyunderminesthelivesofthe

mostvulnerable.Therenewalofpublicservicescan

owfromaprogressiveandequitabletaxregimeand

shouldbethesecondcoreelementinaProgrammefor

Government.

Renew public services

• Increaseinvestmentinpublicservicestoensurethey

areadequatetomeetneedsofsociety.

• Implementahealthandsocial-carestrategytopro-

videservicesandsupportstoenablepeopletolive

independentlyforaslongaspossibleintheirown

homes.

• Provideaccesstomoreintensivelearningoptionsfor

adultswithliteracyornumeracyneedsandloworno

qualications.

• Increasepublicly-subsidised,comprehensive,and

March 2016 1 9

affordableearly-yearsandafter-schoolcare

infrastructurealongwithtraining,living

wagesandqualityconditionsforchildcare

staff.

Irelandisnowoneofthemostunequalcoun-

triesintheEUintermsofincomeandwealth,

yetwehaveoneofthehighestGDPspercapita.

Inequalityerodestrustandsocialsolidarity.It

isnotanaccidentoffate.Itisshapedandinu-

encedbyourpoliticalsystemsandinstitutions.

Buildingasocietywithequalityatitsheartis

goodforeveryone.Evidenceshowsthatmore

equalsocietiesdobetterineverysphereoflife

andthatpeoplearehealthierandhappier.This

isnotautopianvision,equalityisaconscious

choice.Thegreatstridesthathavebeenmade

forLGBTrightsdemonstratethis.Equalitycan

bebroughtaboutthroughpoliticalcommitment

torightsandjustice.

Ensuring an adequate income through

makingworkpay,tacklingthegenderpaygap

andproviding adequatesocial protection to

haveaminimumessentialstandardoflivingare

criticaltoachievingequalityandneedtobea

coreelementof the ProgrammeforGovern-

ment.Theintroductionofpoverty-proongin

publicexpenditureandtaxation-toensureeco-

nomicchoicesdonotadverselyaffectwomen,

minorityandothervulnerablegroups–isalso

criticalintheProgrammeforGovernment.

Ensure income equality and

social inclusion

• Ensurethatalivingwageispaidinall

sectors.

• Increaseallbasicsocialwelfarelevelstothe

leveloftheMinimumEssentialStandardof

Living.

• Restorefullsocialwelfarepaymentstothose

under26years.

• Reversethereductionintheincomedisre-

gardforloneparentsonOne-ParentFamily

Payment.

• Implementthepaytransparencyinitiatives

recommendedbytheEuropeanCommission

toreducethegenderpaygap.

• Provideadequatepensionsandsecondary

incomesupportstoallpeopleinlaterlife.

• Ensureadequateprovisionfortheadditional

costofdisabilitycalculatedforpeoplewith

disability.

Promotingandsupportingdecentworkandpro-

viding quality education and training to

unemployedpeopleandthosealienatedfrom

thelabourmarketwillbeanimportantpolitical

stimulusforgreaterequality.Theseneedtobe

centre stage in the Programme for

Government.

Create decent work for all

• Developaperson-centredPublicEmploy-

mentService.

• Fullyimplementtherighttocollective

bargaining.

• Reinforcetheinstrumentsandinstitutions

fortheprotectionandenforcementof

employmentstandards.

• Introducefurthermeasurestotackleinse-

curecontractsandprecariousworking

conditions.

• Usepublic-procurementtenderstoensure

successfultenderersimplementquality-

employmentstandards.

Advance social justice

• ImplementaNationalActionPlanforSocial

Inclusionbasedontherighttoanadequate

standardofliving.

• Createaffordabilityandcertaintyinhousing

andincreaseaccesstosocialhousing.

• InvestinTraveller-specicaccommodation.

• Increaseresourcestotacklehomelessness.

• Increaserentsupplementlevelstomatch

marketrentlevelsandregulaterentlevels.

Sustainabilityandtheimplementationofthe

climatechangeagreementinParismustbepri-

oritised in the Programme for Government.

ImplementationofEUtargetsforreductionof

emissionsandfortheprovisionofrenewable

energyshouldbepursuedwithoutderogations.

A White Paper on rural development that

addressespovertyissuesandseekstoreverse

ruraldeclineshouldalsobeincluded.

Communitiesandtheirmostisolatedmem-

bersmustbesupportedtoparticipateinthe

decisions that impact their lives and that

broader and more critical participation of

peopleinpoliticalandeconomicdecision-mak-

ing be made a priority. Investing in and

providingsupportforinnovationbycommunity-

sectororganisationsinrespondingtoissuesof

poverty,socialexclusion,discriminationand

inequalityisvital.

Ensure participation in

decision making

• Createandsupportopportunitiesforthe

activeparticipationofmarginalisedcommu-

nitiesinparticipativeformsofdemocracy.

• Takestepstoestablishtheempoweringpro-

cessesneededtoengagepeopleinframing

andmakingpoliticaldecisionsatnational

andlocallevels

• Takeactiontoaddresstheinvisibilityof

minoritygroupsinrepresentationalpolitical

processesatlocalandnationallevels.

• Takestepstoincreasethenumberofwomen

andpeoplefromminoritygroupsparticipat-

inginthepoliticalsystematalllevels.

Theimperativetomakethesechoicesshould

notrequirefurtherexplication.Tacklingpoverty

andinequalityisachoice.Thedirectionforthe

nextveyearsmustbebold.A‘moreofthe

same’approachwillnotaddresstheausterity

policiesnowentrenchedinourservicesand

communities. Business as usual is not an

option.Throwingafewbobatanissueisnotthe

solution.Atweakhereandatweakthereisnot

thesolution.

Edel McGinley is Director of the Migrant Rights

Centre.

The brave need to prepare for change