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Basic Income

Basic Income

"...the Basic Income system studied would have a substantial impact on the distribution of income in Ireland in that, compared with conventional options, it would on average improve the incomes of 70% of households in the bottom four income deciles ...and raise more than half of those who would be below the 40% poverty line under conventional options above this line."

Basic Income Green Paper 4.
Green Paper

The long promised Green Paper on Basic Income was published by Government in October 2002. This marks a great breakthrough in the Commission’s campaign to convince the Government and the Irish people generally, that the introduction of a Basic Income system would produce a much fairer and more just socio-economic order. The Green paper shows that Basic Income improves the incomes of 70% of households in the bottom four deciles (ie. the four tenths of the population with lowest incomes) and raises half of the individuals that would be below the 40% poverty line under ‘conventional’ options above this line.

The Basic Income Guarantee: Ensuring Progress and Prosperity in the 21st Century is the title of a book by Professor Charles Clark and published by Liffey Press in conjunction with CORI Justice Commission. In this book Clark argues that the welfare state was designed for a twentieth century economy and cannot promote equity and efficiency in the new economy. This book goes on to show how a Basic Income Guarantee would promote the competitiveness of the Irish economy while at the same time reducing income inequality.

Seminar on Basic Income

To coincide with the launch of the Green Paper and the publication of Professor Clark’s book the Commission hosted a seminar. The keynote speaker was Dr Guy Standing, Director of the Socio-Economic Programme of the International Labour Organisation. He argued that globalisation, flexible labour markets and supply-side economics have increased insecurity and inequalities. We need to find new systems to promote justice. He argued that Basic Income should be one of these systems. Other speakers included Deaglan O’Briain from the Department of the Taoiseach who wrote the Green Paper, and Professor Charles Clark.

BIEN Conference

The international biennial conference on Basic Income was held in Geneva in September, 2002. 39 countries were represented. The Justice Office was asked to present a paper on the Irish situation. The international interest in basic income is growing.

ILO Publication

The Office was invited to contribute a chapter for a publication of the International Labour Organisation on Social Welfare Systems.

James Robertson spoke from this text at the XXIX Annual Conference of the Pio Manzu International Research Centre in Rimini, Italy on 18-20 October, 2003. The overall theme of the conference was “THE ECONOMICS OF THE NOBLE PATH: FRATERNAL RIGHTS, THE CONVIVIAL SOCIETY, FAIR SHARES FOR ALL”. The conference was dedicated to the “essential figures of Ernst Schumacher and Ivan Illich, amidst many of their present-day heirs”.