Church commission says budget contributes little to common good
● Income from IIP ‘not sustainable’
The budget addresses some issues that impact on the quality of life, for example an added day of leave for all workers, but gives undue attention to financial aspects and one-off measures that cost several millions of euros but contribute little to the common good, the Church said.
Reacting to the budget speech, the Commission for Justice and Peace recognised that a number of positive and encouraging measures were introduced, such as the waste and plastic bottles scheme, public transportation, domestic violence, adoption and fostering.
But it said that, while the financial aspect is important, it does not entirely determine quality of life.
“The current model of development based on Gross Domestic Product and surplus, excludes several other important aspects that should be taken into consideration. Indeed, a portion of the surplus that will shore up the Budget measures, derives from the IIP. The source of this income is not sustainable and its moral and ethical implications should be questioned.”
The commission said a good, adequate and longterm measure should not be a one-off thing, or taken for a particular occasion, but should leave an impact on the daily lives of individuals and society, through changes in attitude, in lifestyles, in production and consumption, and in the way we lead a healthy life.
Turning to traffic, it said that, while the budget did put forward some positive measures in this area, a long term plan that views this challenge holistically is required, for a change in mentality, and to find serious and effective alternatives which do not focus solely on public buses.
It also welcomed the news of the publication of a White Paper on the rental market and the requirement of the owners to register every contract of rent on their properties. “However, the implications of the statement that failure to register this contract of rent will mean that the proprietor will not be protected by the laws of the country, must be explained further. The Commission believes that whatever measures are introduced, the focus needs to be the protection of the rights of all parties, particularly the most vulnerable. It is not clear how the proposed measures will achieve this.”
While the Budget emphasised rightly that the rent control of the past and over regulation will no longer be re-introduced, the issue of unaffordable rents persists, it said.
“Until adequate solutions which are also just with the owners are implemented to effectively help tenants, the question of high rents remains precarious and worrying.”
The commission said political and economic decisions, “must abandon the logic of shortsighted efficiency with an eye on profit and the ballot box. Instead, such decisions should be made in the interest of the common good which is not simply the sum of individual interests.”