VOTERS HAVE POINTED to inequality as a major issue in the upcoming election, new research has found.
In a study from Oxfam Ireland, inequality has been found to be a vote-deciding concern for eight out of 10 respondents.
This comes as Oxfam Ireland launches its Make Equality #1 campaign.
Speaking about the result, Oxfam Ireland’s chief executive Jim Clarken said: “This survey confirms that rising inequality is clearly at the forefront of Irish people’s minds as they prepare to go to the polls.
Everyday Oxfam works to close the inequality gap from the bottom up by helping people lift themselves out of poverty.
What else did the survey find?
The survey also found that despite the economic recovery, the vast majority of people (79%) still believe that the wealth gap between the richest and the rest of society is continuing to widen.
Its results also looked at the gender pay gap; women in Ireland can currently expect to take home 14% less than their male counterparts.
When asked about this, 92% of women said that they believe it was unfair, while 74% of men shared that opinion.
The National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) has worked with Oxfam to release its new report – focusing specifically on gender issues.
Orla O’Connor, director of the NWCI, said: “Tackling violence against women, delivering quality health and maternity services, and providing a universal pension are all essential for women’s equality and all dependent on resources being invested.”
What do Oxfam Ireland hope to achieve?
This new plan was launched by Oxfam Ireland at a charity event featuring economist David McWilliams, Fianna Fáil’s Lorraine Clifford-Lee, Independent Alliance-affiliated candidate Carol Hunt, Labour’s John Lyons, Sinn Féin’s Eoin Ó Broin and Brid Smith from the Anti-Austerity Alliance.
The charity has said that it hopes this campaign will spur the next government on to address the issues of healthcare, the gender pay gap and tax evasion in its first 100 days in office.
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