Budget 2009 #2 CORI Justice Analysis and Critique

Budget lacks vision as banks escape and children are targeted

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This Budget lacks a guiding vision.  This in turn gives rise to some very serious problems. The Budget allows many of those who created the present series of crises, particularly the banks, to escape.  At the same time the vulnerable, particularly children, are targeted to pay for the misbehaviour and fraud of others. 

Government made a sensible decision to change its borrowing parameters.  However, it showed a profound lack of understanding of the social crisis that Ireland is currently facing. 

Social Crisis
In its description of the social crisis Government identified only the issue of unemployment. While this is a critically important issue there are major problems also concerning children, older people, people with disabilities or those who are ill - all of whom have seen their services reduced over the past year. 

Failure to acknowledge this fact in the Budget statement when it outlined the social crisis is of serious concern. It suggests a Government that does not appreciate the serious nature of recent developments in these areas.