Latest news with #StVincentdePaul
Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner view: People in poverty are left behind
For a country that dragged itself out of poverty to wealth, we have certainly left a lot of people behind. St Vincent de Paul, at the coalface of citizens' attempts to keep up, not with the neighbours, but with the bare essentials, has called for a €16-a-week welfare increase to keep pace with the cost of living. And that's just the core rate, and not including other allowances that are vital to many people's survival. The core rate increase amounts to just over €830 a year — and frankly, one wonders if that's even enough, given the rates of inflation in recent years and the global uncertainty that a US-EU trade war might bring, not to mention the ever-present threat or reality of homelessness for far too many of our fellow citizens. The charity expects to get 250,000 calls this year. Let us recall that the population of the island is about 5.2m. SvP's head of social policy, Louise Bayliss, described it as 'policy failure', given this country's wealth. With the Government ruling out one-off measures to deal with the cost of living, urgency turns to how we can protect our most vulnerable people. One wonders how countries with similar populations that follow the Nordic model, such as Denmark and Finland, can seemingly deliver better outcomes for the people there than Ireland, which has a bigger GDP? The sad reality is that our problems are generally within our capability to solve, yet show no signs of abating even in the medium term. And that's a reality we should all sit with and contemplate — after all, how many of us are one lost job or one missed payment away from serious trouble? Times change, and relevance fades Cork city councillor Terry Shannon has objected to a process to rename Cork's Bishop Lucey Park, saying that Ireland is now 'a cold place' for Catholics. But is it? There is merit, certainly, in retaining elements of history, given how they inform our overall identity, as explored by Sarah Harte on these pages and in Monday's editorial. However, times do change, whether people like it or not, and what may be a touchstone for a previous generation may not have the same resonance for the current. The idea of wanting to rename areas associated with religious figures, given the numerous sexual abuse scandals involving the Church, as well as its historic role in oppressing women and children via mother and baby homes or industrial schools, seems quite reasonable. Let us remember that this is a vote simply to begin a process: The destination has yet to be reached. The suggestion of renaming the park isn't new, and can be found at least as far back as the aftermath of the commission into mother and baby homes in 2020. Although Cornelius Lucey — an opponent of contraception and a believer that the Church was right in everything including politics — may not be personally involved in any of the controversies affecting the institution, the stains on the Church affect him by association. For instance, he was responsible for founding the St Anne's Adoption Society in 1954 to arrange the adoption of babies born to unmarried Irish mothers in Britain. An Irish Examiner investigation in 2018 found that an unmarked plot in St Finbarr's Cemetery was bought by the society, which closed in 2003. Four children are buried in it, with the deaths occurring between 1979 and 1990. A neighbouring plot is owned by a different organisation that ran nursery services for the St Anne's Society. The Irish Examiner has reported extensively on the issues relating to adoption in this country. It is enough to warrant wariness in a republic that, for all its faults, endeavours to look forward rather than dogmatically back. Of the at least 5.2m people in the country, almost 70% identify as Catholics, which suggests that even as Mass attendance continues to shrink, that there is still plenty of warmth in that as a broad identity. How relevant people see religion as being part of their everyday life is another debate entirely, and one that predominantly remains between an individual and their own heart. Ultimately, what councillors voted in favour of is a renaming process — a decision on the name is still some way off, and what's to say the original name won't stay? The park, which councillors have noted will bear no resemblance to the one that closed for a revamp in 2023, will belong to the people of Cork. Shouldn't it be up to them to decide if they want to stick with the old or give it a brand new identity? Healy is an inspiration For a relatively small island, we have always tended to punch above our weight in culture and sport, with cyclist Ben Healy now taking his place on our list of elite names by being the first Irishman in 38 years to take a yellow jersey at the Tour de France. The last were Stephen Roche (1987) and Sean Kelly (1983), more than a whole generation ago, with Shay Elliot being the first in 1963. At 24, Healy, born in England and of Waterford ancestry, has plenty of life left in his legs, and even if he doesn't win the overall competition, it is exciting to see how well he's done at this nascent stage of his career, having only turned pro in 2022. Alongside our cluster of Olympic gold medallists, one hopes he can help inspire the next generation of Irish youth, at home and in the diaspora. No pressure, Ben.
Extra.ie
6 days ago
- Extra.ie
Shocking CCTV footage shows charity box stolen from Cork church
Two women have been caught on camera brazenly stealing a charity collection box from a church on the northside of Cork city. The theft took place at Our Lady Crowned Church in Mayfield, with CCTV footage showing the pair walking off with a St Vincent de Paul donation box shortly before the 12 noon Mass. In a video shared by the church on social media, one of the women is seen briefly entering the building and eyeing the blue collection box left unattended on a table. Pic: Our Lady Crowned Church Mayfield A second woman, dressed in white and carrying what appears to be a TV box, follows her out of frame – before reaching back to grab the donation box. The two then leave the church together. The church addressed the incident in a Facebook post, calling on the public to help identify the suspects: 'St Vincent de Paul Box was robbed at Our Lady Crowned Church today before 12noon Mass. Pic: Our Lady Crowned Church Mayfield 'The two female culprits have been captured on CCTV and the matter has been reported to Mayfield Garda Station. 'Any information relating to this crime can be reported to Mayfield Garda Station 021-4558510. Your assistance will be greatly appreciated.' Pic: Our Lady Crowned Church Mayfield The post has drawn hundreds of reactions and comments, with many expressing outrage and disappointment over the theft. Anyone with information is urged to contact Mayfield Garda Station. Pic: Our Lady Crowned Church Mayfield Gardaí told in a statement: 'Gardaí received a report of an incident of theft that occurred outside a premises in Mayfield, Cork city on Sunday 13th July 2025 between 12pm and 3pm. 'A charity box has been reported as stolen. Enquiries are ongoing.'
RTÉ News
04-07-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
'It's just mad money' - Shoppers struggling with food price hikes
There have been more than 103,000 calls for help to St Vincent De Paul this year and almost half were requests for help with food. A further 14% were appeals for help with food as well as another issue. Food prices have increased by 24% in the last five years, according to the Central Statistics Office. "It's terrible," says one man shopping in Dublin. "My wife complains I'm spending all our money. I shop every day and every time I go to shop it's gone up. It's gone up." Other shoppers in the city say they have noticed prices rising, particularly with certain items. "Toilet roll, that's gone up. Butter's gone up. Everything," one young mother said. "Yeah, it's gone up now. Even with the vouchers. It's just mad money. "I think bread is gone up loads. Eggs is mad money as well and the baby food is expensive - not her formula - but more so just like the little packs and jars." "Bread's gone up," says another man. "Brown bread's gone up a lot - it's huge. They still have the usual carrots and special offers but you don't want to be eating carrots every day." CSO Statistician Anthony Dawson, who is responsible for the Consumer Price Index, said that overall the price of food and non-alcoholic beverages was up 4% in the last year. In the last five years, he said that food prices have increased by 24%. Mr Dawson added that certain items have increased notably in the past year. "Beef prices, they're up 20% compared to May 2024 ... and the price of milk is up 18% while butter is up 12% in that same time period. Something else we've seen is the price of chocolate is up 17% compared to this time last year." Mr Dawson says these are increases on top of already pretty substantial rises over the last five years. "Butter and milk they're both up 46%. Bread is up 26%, and we've seen potatoes increase by 17%." Coffee and tea prices are up 25% and 17% respectively, he added. Mr Dawson says that Ireland has already experienced record high inflation in 2022 and while it subsided in 2023, it was still high. "Again we're seeing that, come 2024/2025, still the prices continuing to increase." The total calls for help received by the St Vincent de Paul this year is 103,113. Of that number, 50,471 cited food (49%) while 14,655 (14%) cited food and another issue. The organisation tracks the cost of a basket of goods and services considered necessary to live at a socially acceptable minimum standard of living. Vincentian MESL (Minimum Essential Standard of Living) Research Centre Manager Robert Thornton said that it has noticed a change in how people shop since its previous research in 2020. "Five years ago, when we last talked to members of the public about this, they had agreed that you do most of your grocery shopping in one of the more discount retailers. "This time round, surprisingly, they actually came to agree that really all the supermarkets, with the range of special offers available, with some supermarkets offering vouchers or discounts with loyalty card schemes, that really they are much of a muchness in the end." As prices rise, Mr Thornton said some people are feeling the pinch more. "As costs have gone up by in and around 20% for food and approximately 19% overall, if we look at households reliant on social welfare, ultimately, we find that social welfare rates haven't really kept pace with the change in minimum living costs." He said the various one-off top-up supports, some of which were targeted, and some like the electricity credits which were provided to everyone, helped offset some of the spike iand things have improved compared to 2023 when living costs were at their highest. "But nevertheless ... we're really only now at approximately where we were in 2020 despite social welfare rates being in euro terms much higher now than they were then." Mr Thornton said the proportion of living costs now is no more significant than it was five years ago. Lone parent households and those with a second-level child or a teenager tend to be in deep income inadequacy, he said, where social welfare meets less than 90% of their minimum needs. "Our minimum basket is describing what people agree you should be able to have ... and they're going to have to do without at least some of that because their income just doesn't go far enough." In a statement, the Department of Enterprise highlights analysis by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) in June 2023 that found no evidence of excessive pricing in the grocery retail market. The department said it has continued to review grocery price inflation in Ireland and that it remains broadly in line with the European average. Minister of State Alan Dillon - who has responsibility for retail - has requested the CCPC provides an update to the 2023 analysis, the statement added.
Belfast Telegraph
26-06-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Charity puts Co Down accommodation on market for £1m
Clare Lodge close to Newcastle's promenade is owned by Ireland-wide charity St Vincent de Paul. It was first opened in the 1970s to offer respite breaks for those experiencing the worst of the Troubles in urban areas. It was later demolished and rebuilt, reopening in 2016 with 19 en suite bedrooms. However, the Castle Place building had been shut since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, and this week went on sale through selling agents UPS. A spokesperson for the charity said: "We can confirm that Clare Lodge has been closed for five years and the Society of St Vincent de Paul has now placed it on the market for sale. "Any proceeds from the sale of the property will be used in the northern region to help alleviate poverty." A brochure for the property from UPS describes it as a 'substantial and modern commercial premises in the heart of Newcastle, Co Down — perfectly positioned with breath-taking views of the Mourne Mountains and the Irish Sea'. It adds that the 'versatile property offers immense potential for investors, hoteliers, or developers seeking a landmark building in one of Northern Ireland's most desirable coastal towns'. As well as 19 bedrooms, there is also a dining room, lounge and reception hall. There are also three commercial units which had been knocked together to operate as restaurant, which has since shut. The brochure states that each bedroom is 'fully furnished and finished to a modern standard, offering comfort and privacy for guests'. Aaron Ferris, a selling agent at UPS, said it had drawn interest from three parties after being on the market since earlier in the week. "It's perfectly set up for a boutique hotel with 19 bedrooms, all en suite, and a lot of them are family rooms, with a lot having sea views. 'There's a commercial element with three commercial units that were knocked into one and operated as a separate restaurant – but it would be very easy to have a bar or restaurant in it as part of a hotel in future. "You couldn't built it any better than it is already for use as a hotel.' He said that the town was busy in general, with other commercial units on the market attracting strong interest. Mr Ferris said that an investment property on Central Promenade with a cafe and Medicare pharmacy on the ground floor and apartments above it, which is on the market for £730,000, had drawn offers for £610,000. "There's a lot of viewers waiting in the wings before closing bids in July,' he said.
Irish Times
18-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on cost-of-living increases: children are bearing the brunt
The upward spiral in the cost of living may have now abated to less than 2 per cent per year but the cumulative 20 per cent jump since 2020 has a long tail. A spate of recent studies and reports have detailed how rising costs impose an unfair burden on the most vulnerable, with children bearing the brunt of it. A study compiled by the St Vincent de Paul found that many families have been left struggling to make ends meet in the wake of the rise in the cost of everyday goods and services. The income of a one-parent household which is dependent on social welfare supports – with a primary and second-level school-going child – only covers 82 per cent of their minimum needs as defined by the study. Many low-income families are dependent on in-work supports such as housing and childcare payments, even though family members are in employment. Even in those households deemed above the poverty line – defined as having a disposable income above 60 per cent of the median – many children experienced deprivation, such as not having a warm home or a second pair of sturdy shoes. Almost one in five children fit into this category, says the Economic & Social Research Institute, which identifies housing costs, disability and lone parenting as drivers of what they term enforced deprivation. READ MORE A report from the Children's Rights Alliance finds that the number of children in consistent poverty in Ireland had increased by more than 45,000 in one year, bringing the total to over 100,000. Children are the most likely group in society to experience poverty, according to the alliance. The issue has also come to the attention of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission which has written to primary and post-primary schools, outlining a series of recommendations aimed at cutting back-to-school costs. The CCPC cites research by the Irish League of Credit Unions that found two-thirds of families see back to school costs to be a significant burden. The publication of these reports and studies on the cost of living and its impact on child poverty comes as the Government kicked off the Budget 2026 process this week at the National Economic Dialogue. It is probably not entirely coincidental. The issue is clearly on the Government's radar with the Taoiseach telling the dialogue meeting he has asked his Ministers to come up with measures that 'will really make the difference to the most vulnerable families and children'. The Taoiseach has not ruled out the introduction of a second tier of child benefit payments – a measure supported by ESRI research – in the budget. He has cautioned that it is important to first determine if the current spike in child poverty is a temporary blip after a period of progress. That would seem most unlikely given the evidence to hand.
