MEPs have voted for the EU to set up a dedicated anti-poverty strategy.
The plan, which was led by The Left group, sets out clear goals such as dedicated funding for governments to tackle poverty, improving workers rights and calling for a fairer distribution of wealth across society.
The plan was welcomed by Lynn Boylan, the Sinn Féin MEP for Dublin who said:
“I’m glad that this was passed, despite attempts to water it down by conservative forces within the parliament.
“We now need to ensure that the Parliament position is respected and taken into consideration by the Commission and Member States.
“People in Dublin, and across Ireland are still struggling every day with costs that continue to go up.
“The governments refusal to introduce an energy credit, despite more people than ever being in arrears, along with the bill to hike rents on new tenancies will only make this worse for people.
“The measures around fair pay, workers rights, and investment in both public services and housing can make a real difference for people.
“This is the work that the EU should be focused on, not dumping billions into militarisation.”
MEP for Ireland South, Kathleen Funchion said:
“I would like to congratulate all who worked on delivering this commendable piece of work, which sets out the ambitious priorities of the Parliament.
“Among other things, the report sets a goal for the eradication of poverty by 2035 and recognises recognition of poverty as a violation of human dignity, and thus undermines the realisation of human rights.”
