An urgent review of "grossly inadequate" Social Welfare rates has been demanded, following the publication of a study of low-income families in Dublin.
The report, entitled "One Long Struggle", was launched by Sister Bernadette McMahon of the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice in Dublin yesterday.
The study found that 270,000 Irish adults have a weekly income of less than £193, which is below 60 per cent of the average industrial wage.
"We don't think Social Welfare rates are based on any understanding of what it means to feed children, clothe them and think about their education," Sister Bernadette said.
"People say money isn't everything, but it's an awful lot when you have very little of it." A total of 118 households took part in the research project. The participants came from Ballyfermot, Ballymun, Cherry Orchard, Crumlin, Finglas, Killinarden and the inner city.
Among the report's recommendations was the benchmarking of Social Welfare payments and minimum wage rates to an amount that would provide an acceptable standard of living.
It also called for state-supported childcare to allow more parents to work or gain qualifications.
The report said employers should adopt a more flexible approach to their employees' working hours, making it possible for parents to work while their children were at school.
School transport should be "poverty proofed" to ensure that households, dependent on a low income, would not have to devote a substantial amount of money to bus fares.
Sister Bernadette said many people had an incorrect perception of people on Social Welfare.
"Is it convenient for Government Departments to believe the majority of people on low incomes are irresponsible?
"Then the rest of Irish society sits back and think they must be," she said.
Also speaking at the launch, Mr Noel Clear, the national president of the Society of St Vincent de Paul, said the report provided a challenge to the social partners.
Mr Clear said he was particularly moved by the quotations from the participants included in the report.
One woman said: "We only eat potatoes on a Sunday".
Dr Brian Nolan, of the Economic and Social Research Unit, said the study was "enormously valuable" and "extremely timely".
