The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) has expressed concern over aspects of the partnership agreement, such as the lack of an explicit commitment to raise welfare rates to 30 per cent of the average income.
In comments which may prove influential in determining how the community and voluntary pillar responds to the agreement, the SVP said it was concerned about a number of gaps.
Its concerns included:
No explicit commitment to raise adult welfare rates to 30 per cent of average income, despite earlier suggestions that this was contained in the agreement
Social housing targets which fall well short of numbers required for the next three years, and no firm commitment after 2009
Full medical card commitments already made are ignored.
No reference to making domestic fuel costs and waste- disposal costs more affordable for people on low incomes.
Lack of any reference to the needs of asylum seekers.
While the SVP said it welcomed the broader social agenda in the agreement compared to previous ones, "key gaps" needed to be addressed.
Prof John Monaghan, SVP vice-president, said: "Strategies to tackle social exclusion, poverty and disadvantage - which are human injustices - must be treated as priority demands on national resources and not relegated to being conditional on other social or economic objectives being achieved."
The SVP welcomed aspects of the agreement, such as a clearer commitment to the introduction of an improved child support payment system, including a possible second-tier child income support payment.
The intention to eliminate the use of long-term hostels for homeless people by 2010, and the establishment of the Homeless Consultative Forum was well received, as were plans for the regulation of the private rented sector and new minimum standards of accommodation.
Prof Monaghan said the new 10-year agreement needed close monitoring to ensure results were achieved. However, this posed challenges for often poorly resourced NGOs and voluntary groups.
He said: "While we welcome the strategy of longer-term planning, the very nature and length of this agreement means we will be required to devote considerable resources to ensure that what is agreed is actually delivered," he said. "Monitoring and governance will be key issues - with significant cost implications for the society."
