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Southsiders seek financial assistance as downturn bites

Thursday, 04 December 2008

THE ECONOMIC downturn and a sharp increase in unemployment on the Southside has resulted in a noticeable rise in the number of requests for assistance from members of the public to charities. In September, the president of St Vincent de Paul, John Monaghan, said the charity had seen a 40 per cent increase in calls for assistance in the first eight months of this year, with 25 per cent coming from people who had never previously sought help from the charity. Unemployment is growing fastest in some of the most prosperous parts of the capital and has risen by as much as 62 per cent in just 12 months in a number of its wealthiest commuter towns, according to the latest monthly figures from Central Statistics Office figures. In fact, the Dún Laoghaire social welfare office experienced the highest 12-month percentage increase in unemployment with the numbers of people singing on to the Live Register for social welfare benefits increasing by 62 per cent from 2,452 to 3,980 in the 12 months up to October. The South Dublin branch of the St Vincent de Paul includes Dún Laoghaire, Blackrock, Ballybrack, Lough­­­linstown and Shankill. Speaking to Southside People, area president Cyril Cuffe outlined the reasons why people had contacted the society for assistance. “There has definitely been a big increase in calls for assistance in the last year,” Mr Cuffe said. “The conferences [within the South Dublin area] meet every week and they would have three or four requests each week from new families that they have never visited before.” Energy He said that one of the most common problems experienced by people who had contacted the society was in relation to their ability to afford sufficient fuel and energy for home heating and electricity after recent price increases. “The increase in the price of fuel and in particular electricity and gas has been a great strain on people’s incomes,” he added. “Two thirds of social welfare recipients need help with their energy and fuel bills and the increased cost in fuel and energy is a major problem for those that we help. “This is along with the fact that many of them live in homes that are poorly insulated. As well as that a lot of people we deal with are not well versed in conserving energy. “If you haven’t enough heat in your house then that will in turn affect your health and the winter mortality in Ireland is the highest in Europe with an estimated 2,800 deaths per annum over the winter months,” he added. In addition, Mr Cuffe said massive inflation in food prices had placed major strain on those on low incomes and on social welfare over the last year. “When there was a big increase in the cost of food during the summer, on top of the increases in fuel during the year, we noticed more calls for help,” he told Southside People. “We have been contacted by a lot of people in the last six months who have lost their jobs in the building trade as a result of the downturn in the property boom.” The Society of St Vincent de Paul relies entirely on donations from the public and it will spend some e50 million this year providing assistance to those in need. Mr Cuffe would like to remind people that the society’s annual church collection will take place at churches throughout the country on December 14 and 15.