MORE THAN 25,000 people in Galway cannot put a proper meal on the table every week according to a new report from Unite and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
The report, Hungry For Action: Mapping Food Poverty in Ireland found that 25,300 people in Galway are affected by food poverty. The figures does not include the Travelling community, asylum seekers, or the homeless.
Food poverty is defined as a missed a meal in the last two weeks due to a lack of money; inability to afford a meat or vegetarian meal every second day; inability to afford a roast or vegetarian meal once a week.
The report shows Galway is the worst hit county in Connacht for food poverty and is the third worst hit in the State behind Dublin (112,300 ) and Cork (50,500 ).
In response to these alarming findings, Unite and the Mandate trade union are calling for an immediate subsidy of €10 million to be made available to charities providing food relief; an emergency relief budget to be introduced in early 2014; and increase in social protection rates; reversal of some of the harshest cuts to those most at risk of food poverty (eg, cuts in rent supplement, exceptional needs budget, direct accommodation for asylum seekers ); and an increase in the minimum wage to €9.20 per week.
Responding to the report, Máirín MhicLochlainn, Sinn Féin Conamara candidate for the 2014 Local Elections said An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and the Government, “who pontificate about ‘difficult decisions’ should be ashamed in light of the report”.
She said Hungry For Action was “valuable work” as it gives the public “a great insight into the severe damage being done” by the Government’s austerity policies.
“Any Government that allows this situation to build up,” she said, “while at the same time ignoring calls to implement a wealth tax or a higher rate of tax on those earning over €100,000 a year is an embarrassment.”
