Flash motors the gaudy side of Celtic Tiger, says Minister
Flashy BMW and Mercedes cars on our streets are the gaudy side of the Celtic Tiger boom, Social & Family Affairs Minister Seamus Brennan told the Dáil today.
The country’s new-found wealth was in-your-face and making society more unequal, he added.
But the TD insisted that the Government was currently spending €1bn on schemes to bring vulnerable people back into education, training and employment.
Replying to a Fine Gael question about the inequality of society, Mr Brennan said: “I don’t agree with the concept that there is less equality of opportunity.
“Yes, society is more unequal. That’s largely because of the plethora of BMWs and Mercs that are floating around town because of people getting so well-off here and around the country.
“That’s a new wealth which can get in your face a bit and be fairly gaudy and a bit flash at times.
“It is one of the by-products that you get from getting wealthier.”
Mr Brennan said there were 36 schemes across eight government departments which were helping people get back to education, training and employment.
Fine Gael frontbench spokesman David Stanton said a recent National Economic and Social Forum report claimed that Ireland had less equality of opportunities than other EU member states.
The Cork East TD cited statistics that 13% of students leave school early, 18% of which fail to get a job.
The report entitled ‘Creating a More Inclusive Labour Market’ also said the richest 20% of the working-age population was earning 12 times as much as the poorest 20% – one of the highest levels of income inequality among any of the 30 OECD countries.
It also found:
:: Ireland is ranked 51 out of 56 countries in terms of equality of economic opportunity for women, with mothers being paid less than men.
:: Nearly a quarter of our working age population lack functional literacy skills – the second highest illiteracy rate among 18 industrial economies.
:: Over 40% of our male working-age population (15-64) is low-skilled, compared with 20% in Germany.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said the findings would be taken on board when deciding future social policy.
