March 6th 2010: Speaking at the Sinn Fein Ardfheis, TASC Director Paula Clancy said that job creation must be the top priority when tackling inequality.

 

"Unemployment is a major driver of inequality because unemployment leeches money out of the Exchequer – both in lost taxes and in social welfare expenditure. This leaves less money to invest in capital infrastructure to improve the economy, less money for public services and less for social supports", she said.  You can read the full speech here.

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28 economists, social scientists and economic analysts have written an open letter, published in today’s Irish Times, arguing that the Government's economic strategy is failing, and warning that the current approach of spending cuts combined with tax increases on low and average income earners will bring about a low-growth, high-debt future ...

March 4th 2010: Issuing TASC’s response to the Pensions Framework Document launched yesterday, Head of Policy Sinéad Pentony said that the proposals provided a positive basis on which to move forward. However, she stressed that the proposed supplementary pension should be fully administered, funded and delivered through the social insurance system, rather than through the private pension sector ...

February 25th: The Royal Irish Academy was packed last night for the first in a series of TASC Encounters.  Well-known communications consultant and broadcaster Mark Mortell 'interviewed' Irish Times journalist and author Fintan O'Toole about the issues raised in Fintan's recent book, Ship of Fools. The discussion was followed by a lively Q&A session - and the debate continued over a glass of wine.  Read on below the fold to see the video - and watch this space for news of further TASC Encounters ...

 

February 14th: Farmers’ wives are paying the price for the Government’s failure to reform our pension system and introduce a universal State pension according to Paula Clancy, Director of the equality think-tank TASC. Speaking this morning, Ms. Clancy said that the reversal of the decision to award pensions to farm spouses once again showed that women are particularly disadvantaged by the current pension system ...

January 21st: "Ireland cannot rely on personal pensions to improve income adequacy for lower income groups".  That was the conclusion reached by several speakers at today's launch of Personal Provision of Retirement Income: Meeting the Needs of Older People?, edited by Jim Stewart and Gerry Hughes, which was followed by a presentation of TASC's updated pension policy proposals ...

December 3rd 2009: In its Pre-Budget Statement issued today, TASC estimated that tax breaks will cost an estimated €7.4 billion in 2009, and said that an overhaul of tax breaks could contribute significantly to the €4 billion cuts being sought by the Government in Budget 2010 ...

November 18th: Together with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, TASC today launched the Hierarchy of Earnings, Attributes and Privilege (H.E.A.P.) report, designed to present the facts about income inequality in Ireland in an accessible form. The report – which was authored by NUIG academics Professor Terrence McDonough and Jason Loughrey – comprises a poster illustrating the numbers of households at different income levels, broken down by occupational category and household type, together with an explanatory booklet ...

TASCNet is a new network of people interested in working with us to help transform Ireland. If you share our vision of a more equal and democratic society, and would like to make a positive contribution to realising that vision, then 'Get Involved' by joining the TASCNet programme  ...