No acceptable level of poverty

BY ÁINE Ní BHRIAIN

Sinn Féin cannot build an Ireland of equals without eradicating social exclusion and poverty. Towards that end, this year's Ard Fheis reaffirmed its commitment to the elimination of poverty in all its forms.

In its discussion paper, Eliminating Poverty — a 21st Century Goal, Sinn Féin noted that one in four adults and one in three children are living in poverty in Irish society, and while energy companies continue to make huge profits, over 200,000 Irish households suffer from fuel poverty.

"There is an unbreakable link between the eradication of poverty and inequality in our society," states the document. "Poverty is a by-product of the domination of the needs of profit over the needs of the people."

Despite unprecedented economic growth within the 26 Counties, relative income poverty per household has increased steadily.

The situation has gotten worse because of the failure of state structures to plan development, and while past "solutions" have primarily taken the form of handouts and benefits, no effort was made to change the economic system which ensured that subsidies were required.

The National Anti-Poverty Strategy (NAPS) - and its successor, the National Action Plan on Social Inclusion - have a weak legal basis at an EU level and are not human rights based. Both documents also chose to ignore the views of Non-Governmental Agencies who deal with poverty on the ground every day.

In the north, New Targeting Social Need (New TSN) hasn't done much better. Like NAPS, it suffers from poor targets and a lack of funding. Its initial agenda has been subverted by unionist representatives, the civil service hierarchy and the failure of the SDLP to advance any meaningful opposition to the process.

Sinn Féin delegates criticised both NAPS and New TSN as "completely inadequate" and pointed out that the core strategic aim of both documents should be the elimination of poverty. Speakers argued that such an objective could only be achieved through the implementation of human rights and equality.

As a result, the Ard Fheis demanded enforceable political, civic, social, economic and cultural rights within the All-Ireland Charter of Fundamental Rights and a Bill of Rights for the Six Counties. It called for the issue of fuel poverty to be given political leadership at the highest level.

The party also wants the Human Rights and Equality Commissions to have adequate powers and resources and be more assertive in delivering their mandates.

Ultimately, Sinn Féin plans to seek the creation of an all-Ireland equality body, the drafting of an All-Ireland Single Equality Act, the harmonisation of the actionable human rights frameworks and the creation of an All-Ireland Human Rights body.

Poverty stands against the human ideals of republicanism. It denies individuals and communities the liberty to be free from hunger or want and stems from the failure of those benefiting from growth in our society to share wealth with those without.

However, Sinn Féin remains determined to see poverty and social exclusion across Ireland become a thing of the past.