"Government policy has been increasing the income of the richest ten per cent of households and widening the gap between these and the rest of society", a study by Social Justice Ireland reports. The report predicts that current Government policy will "produce a dramatic increase in poverty and social exclusion".
(Pictured: Sean Healy of Social Justice Ireland. Download the report by clicking here)
Taking a look back at A.C. Grayling's Among The Dead Cities: Is The Targeting of Civilians in War Ever Justified? By Joseph Mahon of NUI Galway.
Mary Harney's reign as minister was driven by a philosophy that promoted inequality, writes Sara Burke.
Mary Harney has done great harm to the Irish people. Even before she took on the health ministry, PD ideology (under her leadership) has had a disproportionate impact on government economic and social policy. Their agenda has caused particular destruction since 2000 when the PDs began to meddle with health policy and from 2004 when Mary Harney became Minister for Health.
There is little competition in the Irish health insurance market, writes Sara Burke.
The announcement by VHI Healthcare that it is to increase premium for the majority of its customers by between 15 per cent and 45 per cent is a direct consequence of Government failure to reform both the health system and the private health insurance market.
Young Traveller men are the most vulnerable to dying by suicide in Ireland today. By Sandy Hazel
In a country with already high suicide rates - fifth highest in Europe for youth suicide according to the National Office for Suicide Prevention – men are more vulnerable to suicide than women. Four times more men in Ireland take their own life than men in the UK. More people die in Ireland by suicide than in car accidents each year, yet road safety campaigns receive ten times the budget of suicide prevention.
History suggests that there is a limit to the degree of income inequality that is sustainable in society. For example, gross levels of income inequality is believed to have been one of the causal factors of The Great US Depression in the 1920's and there are many reasons to believe that inequality is a contributory factor to the situation we now find ourselves in nationally and globally. By Siobhán O'Donoghue
Despite the hefty cut to the health budget in the year ahead, the HSE Service Plan launched in Christmas week provides some rare optimism for 2011. By Sara Burke
HSE CEO Cathal McGee (pictured) launched the HSE Service Plan for 2011 three days before Christmas. Once again the HSE is planning to improve patient care with less money and fewer staff. So what, if anything, is different about this plan and can they really do it without hurting patient care?
As a diary, the IPA Yearbook has been overtaken by electronic gadgets. But its quirkiness as a diary remains amusing, writes Vincent Browne.
For instance, it notes that 2 January was the 150th anniversary of the death of King Frederick William of Prussia.
Not many people know that. Not many people want to know that.
Moral failures in public life are nothing compared to a rich-poor divide that is literally a matter of life and death, writes Vincent Browne.
The spectacle on Prime Time Investigates of mega-developers trying to secure their wealth by transferring assets to their spouses, assets now properly the property of the State, while continuing to live lavish lifestyles with helicopters and limousines, was great television. But all this drama misses the point.
Bray social welfare claimants expecting to 'sign-on' today were met by closed doors at the local Social Welfare Office. A sign posted on the door stated that due to adverse weather conditions the offices were shut. By Christina Finn