In a Quarterly Review of National Social Issues, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the largest charitable organisation in Ireland has expressed deep concern about the extent of fuel poverty, the abuse of tenants by unscrupulous landlords and the system of child support payments to families, which it says is not working to the best effect.
The Society’s Social Justice and Policy Committee has carried out an examination of financial hardship being experienced by families and individuals due to the current national economic difficulties.
This examined the cost of rented accommodation, of energy, of heating homes and the supports given by the State to children.
Following the nationwide survey, carried out through the Society’s unique system of home visitation and personal contact between volunteers, families and individuals, the SVP has called for protection of those faced with energy-related debt and says that widespread abuse of vulnerable families and individuals in rented accommodation by unscrupulous landlords must be dealt with. It has also called for a new system of child support payments to families.
- Details of the review are published in the current issue of the SVP’s quarterly national magazine of social concern, The Ozanam Bulletin, which can be obtained from any SVP office or read in PDF form on this website.
- Last week the Dail Public Accounts Committee was told by the Secretary General of the Department of Social Protection (formerly Social and Family Affairs) that almost 80 per cent of landlords whose tenants are in receipt of social welfare rent supply payments did provide their PPS (personal public service) numbers to the Department as they are required to do to be tax compliant.