Mags GarganAdvocacy organisation calls for ‘leadership’
Making Ireland a more just society is a matter of political will and courage to prioritise social needs over economic growth, according to Social Justice Ireland.
The social justice advocacy organisation launched a ‘New Index of Social Progress’ on Tuesday, which showed that Ireland’s social services and infrastructure have progressed more slowly than its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – a measure of economy size – every year since 1995.
“It is not acceptable that Ireland’s social progress has lagged behind its economic growth through good times and bad over the past 20 years,” said Fr Seán Healy, Director of Social Justice Ireland. “Ireland’s services and infrastructure are consistently the poor relation no matter what is happening in the economy.
“A society where well-being is valued and the common good is at the core of decision-making is possible. Its delivery is a question of political will. Leadership, ambition and commitment are required,” he said.
Presenting a paper entitled ‘What Should Ireland Do Now?’ at the think tank’s annual Social Policy Conference, Fr Healy and his colleagues Brigid Reynolds and Michelle Murphy argued that previous recoveries in Ireland have focused principally on economic issues and a more balanced approach is required, with substantial additional investment needed in social services, such as education, health, social housing and childcare.
“Sustainable employment growth can be underpinned by an investment programme that invests in both economic and social infrastructure,” said Michelle Murphy. “Domestic economic investment is sorely needed to provide employment and provide much-needed infrastructure; this would reduce short-term unemployment and increase the long-run productivity of the Irish economy.”
The Social Justice Ireland team argued that public policy should now focus on delivering five key outcomes: a vibrant economy, decent public services, just taxation, good governance and sustainability.