Northern Ireland In Poverty?

ollywood68

leftieM wrote: »

This is a difficult subject. There is widespread benefit fraud and there are a lot of people who may appear to fall below the poverty line but who don't in reality. There are certainly a lot of people who lie to get benefits and council housing. However there must be those out there who genuinely struggle - a woman who's marriage has broken up and who finds herself as a single parent dependent on state benefits. An elderly couple living on the state pension. A single person who may be unemployable because of mental problems and has to manage on income support long term.
I think that it is an issue in society that we have this benefits culture. However I'd rather have a benefits system and accept the abuse than have no system at all. We talk of poverty but I think that does an injustice to anyone genuinely in poverty. Poverty is what you see in Africa and Asia. It's not what we see here. People struggle sometimes to keep up but no-one goes without the basic necessities (unless they have an addiction to alcohol or drugs.)

very philosophical (or fill-os-sof-eye-cal) response

[Deleted User]

True poverty is to not be able to afford food and water.

I try to live off 70 quid a week. I can afford food, water and i even sport a nasty hangover today.

U are seperate from the UK u have ur own parliament, and will no doubt get even more devolution when u are capable of running urself.

jammin_2

Yant1 wrote: »

U are seperate from the UK u have ur own parliament..

UK = The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Check you passport.

Yant1 wrote: »

..and will no doubt get even more devolution when u are capable of running urself.

Please elaborate on what you are insinuating.

talksalot81

Yant1 wrote: »

U are seperate from the UK u have ur own parliament, and will no doubt get even more devolution when u are capable of running urself.

I find this comment hilarious! I presume you also masterminded the Bush 'spelling lesson' a few years back!?

bandraoi

darwin-rover wrote: »

Taxes are far higher down south , and we have a much higher standard of living than the Republic anyway .

That used to be the case, but not anymore.
When I was earning the equivalent of £26,000/E38000, the difference in tax was less than £100 a year.

For lower salaries tax in the Republic was lower and there's no council tax in the Republic, though things like water charges and bin charges are starting to creep in.

There is a free national health service, but it's nowhere near as good as the NHS.

bandraoi

Some things the republic has that can save a fortune
1) Free college tuition (though it's creeping back)
2) Alot of education expenses (school fees, private courses) are tax deductable
3) Health care expenses, either for electives (eye laser surgery etc) or going private (your kids orthodontist) are tax deductable.

BC_Rangers

dj9928 wrote: »

I can't help but wonder would a United Ireland be better for us, and I'm a protestant by the way.

This is completely off the subject of the thread , but Protestant Nationalists are far from unheard of.

Its not such much a question of religion as culture. In the United Irish state , people in the 6 Counties of Ulster-Scots/Unionist lineage would be marginalised and persecuted.

Thats why it isn't going to happen for a very long time to come.

Parisien

jammin wrote: »

UK = The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Check you passport.


Please elaborate on what you are insinuating.

Yeah, thats true re what is says on the passport, but saying it and being it are two different things....ie you have a hefty proportion of the population who neither feel nor want to be pigeon holed as British, as is their right.

And yes, why do you think direct rule was brought in.....well basically, we we nor able to "run" things here ourselves......even now its a very uneasy setup, the soothsayers are still wringing their hands.

I am a bit surprised myself - but do remember we are spending other peoples money here....we have always "abused" the state intervention fund when asking/spending for money from the UK mother parliament, so don't be too quick to condemn those who you/the state classifies as scrougers when the region was guilty of doing the same as a failed political entity !!!!!!

weebro

U are seperate from the UK u have ur own parliament, and will no doubt get even more devolution when u are capable of running urself.[/quote]


If Northern Ireland no longer part of UK (do our politicians know this??) why, according to recent press reports, is support for our local community and voluntary groups being cut to divert funding to LONDON Olympics?

As for being capable of running our selves, UK direct rule ministers didn't do such a good job over the years when it came to roads, water, sewerage, education, health service ..........

IvanOpinion

dj9928 wrote: »

I heard Stephen Nolan say yesterday that a new study has revealed that 50% of households in Northern Ireland have less than £300 a week to live on, and 26% of children in Northern Ireland are living in poverty.

I think this is typical of todays sensationlist media reporting .. hiding facts behind numbers. I don;t know why it is a 'new' study because what it is basically saying is that the average wage in NI is £15,000 which isn't exactly headline news.

As far as 26% then what exactly does that mean? Also I would ask what are the parents doing with the money fomr their benefits, child tax credits, child allowance etc. There is NO excuse for a child in NI to be considered as living in 'poverty' ... unless poverty means not having designer labels on their clothes and only having one playstation and a CRT TV (instead of LCD).

I can't help but wonder would a United Ireland be better for us, and I'm a protestant by the way.

If you excuse the pun .. I am not convinced the grass is ever greener

Ivan