Friday, May 25, 2012

SVP says stop lecturing the poor

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVP) has criticised those lecturing from well-placed positions when justifying austerity.  

The editorial in the latest edition of SVP’s quarterly magazine, The Bulletin, states, “The expression has regularly been used by politicians, economists and others in leading, influential positions that they, ‘understand the problems of ordinary people,’ as they enforce austerity to pay for the economic errors, some now termed as ‘criminal’, which have afflicted many families and individuals with great suffering.”

The editorial goes on to say that there is, “an obscenity,” in Irish Life today in the very high levels of pay for some sectors of society compared to those at the lower levels who face basic subsistence.

“Suffering has been visited on ordinary families to pay for the economic damage caused by the greed of others and those lecturing from well-placed positions do not understand what it means to be deprived and suffering,” says the SVP magazine.  

Published alongside this latest editorial is one from the Spring 2003 edition also suggested that then Government policies were creating divisions between the, “haves and have-nots.”

The Bulletin also has contributions from outgoing SVP National President Mairead Bushnell, and newly elected President Geoff Meagher (pictured). 

He comes from Kilkenny and has been national treasurer of SVP for five years.  He will take up his new position in June.  He has been very involved in visitation to, “bring hope and help to those in need,” and he writes in the magazine, “I see visitation as being the core of what we do and (it is) where I see the strength of volunteer membership.”

He says he wants to enhance visitation and to ensure that activities are done in a spirit of, “Christian charity,” that was lost during the so-called Celtic Tiger years.  

He also promised to review the many specialised services SVP now offers and assess SVP capability to manage them.