02 November 2005 19:55
The St Vincent de Paul has recorded a 300% increase in the number of calls for assistance it has received over the past two years.
The society, which published its pre-Budget submission this afternoon, says there are 600,000 people living in poverty in Ireland.
It is calling on the Government to take specific action on social welfare, child support, tax, housing, education and health.
Launching its submission, Professor John Monaghan said social spending had to be increased by around €5 billion to tackle the problem of poverty.
He pointed out that according to a UN report, Ireland is one of the most unequal countries in the world.
