[caption id="attachment_70849" align="alignright" width="600" caption="A man begging in Dublin. "]
The number of Irish households officially living below the poverty line is on the increase, a worrying new report has claimed.
The Social Justice Ireland group this week released their "Shaping Ireland's Future" report, which reveals that a total of 706,000 people in the Republic are now living in poverty, an increase of 92,000 in the space of two years.
Of these, 200,000 are reported to be children, and the report has slammed Ireland's social welfare system as "not fit for purpose."
The document also highlighted the stark contrast in disposable income between the country's richest and poorest families, with those at the top of the scale enjoying an average 2,276 euro per week, compared to just 210 euro for those on the bottom rung of Irish society.
Calling for an overhaul of the welfare system, SJI have said a "basic income system" is needed, while tax credits should be refundable.
"By making tax credits refundable, almost 113,300 low-income individuals would receive a refund and would see their disposable income increase as a result of the proposal," the report said.
"In practice, a basic income recognizes the right of every person to a share of the resources of society."
SJI director, Father Sean Healy, spoke out in the wake of the report, saying only the rich benefited from the current system, which was causing more families to plunge below the poverty line.
He also said new job creation programs could tackle the problem, as it would encourage more young Irish to stay at home and boost their own economy, rather than emigrate.
"The austerity program is contributing to Ireland's loss of young people, the implications of which are stark as this loss will pose significant problems for economic recovery," he said.
"The emigration 'brain drain,' which in some quarters is being heralded perversely as a 'safety valve' is in fact a serious problem for Ireland and may well lead to a skills deficit in the long-term."
