Next Government will have a golden opportunity to deliver a social dividend for all

With a general election on the horizon, the next five years present a golden opportunity for the next Government to harness our economic success to deliver a social dividend for all.  We can reverse the failure, to date, to build on recent years of economic growth and windfall revenues to deliver a just society, to put a social floor of adequate income and services in place for everyone.  We must grasp this opportunity to harness our economic success, success which is the result of investment in human capital, social infrastructure, our communities and our natural capital, to deliver transformative change for all. 

Putting the Common Good at the heart of public policy

Everyone in our society has a right to a share in the Common Good. It is the job of government to harness the benefits of our strong economic position to invest in policies that foster the Common Good and wellbeing of everyone in our society.   Putting the Common Good at the heart of public policy can deliver the transformative change required to build a thriving Ireland for all.  An Ireland with resilient communities, that can respond to the needs of a changing society, with an economy that works for all - that supports our social and environmental goals.  An Ireland where there is a plan for collecting sufficient revenue to resource our public services, now and into the future, an Ireland that plans for and delivers a Just Transition, an Ireland where everyone feels that their voice is heard and valued. 

A policy agenda for transformative change

‘A Better and Fairer Ireland’, Social Justice Ireland’s election briefing has identified six key areas which, if prioritised by our politicians in the next five years will make a positive difference to society, our wellbeing and our communities.

• An end to poverty: improved welfare and wellbeing for all
  • Set an ambitious national poverty target
  • Benchmark core social welfare rates to average earnings
• Adequately resourcing the future
  • Set a new tax take target
  • Introduce a Minimum Effective Corporate Tax Rate
• Infrastructure and services for vibrant and resilient communities
  • Set a target of 20 per cent of all housing stock to be social housing
  • Invest in capacity building for communities.
• An economy that works for all
  • Support widespread adoption of living wage
  • Introduce refundable tax credits
• Strengthening our democracy
  • Adequately resource Public Participation Networks
  • Establish a social dialogue process
• A Just Transition
  • Integrate climate adaptation and natural capital accounting into the annual budgetary process.
  • Apply the principle of the ‘common good’ to public investment into climate research and development.

A Better and Fairer Ireland

Social Justice Ireland’s  policy briefing ‘A Better and Fairer Ireland’ is available to download here.  It outlines a policy agenda for transformative change and the common good with six priority areas and specific policy proposals that would support meeting the needs of a rapidly growing and changing society.