Civil Engagement Group call for equality, transparency and sustainability in Budget 2018.

The Civil Engagement Group in the Seanad is calling on the Government to deliver equality, transparency and sustainable development in Budget 2018. The group have highlighted five principles which they say should underpin the budgetary decision-making.

1. Budget 2018 must deliver joined-up thinking for sustainable development.
2. Budget 2018 must prioritise investment in public services and social infrastructure
3. Budget 2018 must address social, economic and gender inequality
4. Budget 2018 must be clear and transparent around taxation
5. Budget 2018 must meet international standards and commitments.

 Senator Alice-Mary Higgins, leader of the Civil Engagement Group (CEG) said, “The government must remember that it responsible not simply for ‘opportunities’ but for 'outcomes’. The serious challenges Ireland faces in areas like housing, healthcare, or environment can only be addressed through joined-up thinking and a collective rather than an individualised approach. We are also calling on the Government to fulfil their commitment to equality and gender proof this Budget so as to make sure it works for everyone in society. How, for example, might this budget help lone parents or those who are carers.”

Senator Lynn Ruane said, “We are calling on the Government to listen to the people of Ireland and to invest in social services and infrastructure after years of austerity cuts. Budget 2018 must demonstrate a commitment to public housing, health, education at all levels, homecare, childcare and community development – which have been pushed to breaking point through lack of investment.”

Senator Grace O’Sullivan said, “In light of the critical need for greater investment in public services and social infrastructure, we simply can’t afford to focus on tax cuts – we need to prioritise those shared services and supports that provide a decent standard of living for everyone in Ireland.”
Senator John Dolan said “Budget 2018 decisions have implications for the 643,000 disabled people and their families. Will those decisions move them away from poverty and exclusion and towards full inclusion in the economic and social life of Ireland?”

Senator Frances Black said, “Since 2014, demand for mental health services has gone up almost 30%. However, as of July 2017, almost 2500 children and young people are still on waiting lists, unable to get the help they need. Many have been waiting for over a year. This is just one example of the urgent need to invest in better public services - it must be a priority for the Government.”
Senator Higgins added, “Given the hard choices being made, it is important that any money spent on tax reliefs or incentives is also subject to rigorous analysis. How much do they cost the exchequer? who benefits? We know that badly thought through schemes in the past have had negative consequences. The Capital Gains Tax waiver from 2012-2014, for example, contributed to the current housing crisis.”

Senator Colette Kelleher said, “Budget 2018 must provide the most to people on the margins. The level of inclusion achieved should be the true test of the budget’s success. I’m hoping to see real investment in supports and services for people with dementia and their carers, urgent action on housing including for Traveller families and better community based mental health and disability supports.”

CIVIL ENGAGEMENT GROUP : FIVE PRINCIPLES TO UNDERPIN BUDGET 2015

1. Budget 2018 must deliver joined-up thinking for sustainable development.
Addressing Ireland’s many and urgent challenges in areas like housing, health care, education or climate change will require joined up thinking and a collective rather than an individualised response. The government need to deliver outcomes as well as opportunities and the housing crisis is one clear reminder that we cannot simply rely on the market to provide. Budget 2018 should reflect the kind of blueprint for long term, inclusive, development set out in the Sustainable Development Goals, which Ireland helped to negotiate at the UN. That means securing an adequate tax base, ensuring a more equal allocation of resources, prioritising investment in essential services and infrastructure, delivering social supports and planning for a shared future.

2. Budget 2018 must prioritise investment in public services and social infrastructure.
Public services benefit everyone. Most people see access to decent health services or education as more important for their wellbeing then a few extra euro in their pocket. Austerity has stretched Ireland’s services and social fabric to breaking point. The Government must listen to the many voices demanding resources for public services, increased capital spending in areas like health, education and public housing and serious investment in social infrastructure such as childcare, homecare and community development. The Budget should also ensure that vital infrastructure and services are retained under public ownership and public accountability.

3. Budget 2018 must address social, economic and gender inequality.
The Government must deliver on its commitment to Gender and Equality Proof Budget 2018 and should publish a formal Equality Statement as is done in Scotland. Considering decisions from an equality and gender perspective leads to better outcomes for everyone. In addition to addressing issues like the gender pension gap and the clear inequalities experienced by lone parents, the Government should use proofing to identify areas where ‘preventative spending’ now might prevent social and financial costs down the line.

4. Budget 2018 must be clear and transparent around taxation.
In Ireland is a comparatively low tax country, with the exception of VAT, which is slightly higher than the international average and is paid by every single person. It is important to clarify the often woolly language often used around the 'squeezed middle’ - the facts are that the median full time wage in Ireland in 2014 (latest available) was €28,500. That means half of all workers earn less than that amount and most would not gain one cent from the recently proposed change in the standard band while those high up the income ladder would benefit. The Civil Engagement group believe Ireland cannot afford to prioritise tax-cuts. There is also too little attention paid to the money taken out of the exchequer by tax breaks and incentives which disproportionately benefit the wealthiest; including about 200 million spent on private pensions and the still unknown costs of the ‘knowledge box’. Estimates on revenue foregone as a result of tax measures should be published as part of Budget 2018.

5. Budget 2018 must meet international standards and commitments.
While we often hear about Ireland's fiscal targets or loan repayments, there has been far less budgetary focus on our other international commitments. Ireland has for example signed up to Paris Climate Accord and promised to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with a Disability (UNCPRD) and the Istanbul Convention on Domestic Violence. Meeting the standards set out in these agreements will take more than rhetoric, it will require resources. That means implementation plans and targeted investment across all departments. Budget 2018 must bring us closer to rather than further away from international best practice.