Michael D Higgins speaks out on poverty in Galway
Former President Michael D Higgins has called for a fairer distribution of wealth and power, as Galway charities and community groups came together last weekend to demand action on poverty.
The former President and Minister was speaking as local charities, community organisations and students gathered for ‘People, Policy, Place’ on Friday, organised by the European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland.
Those represented included Galway Simon Community, COPE Galway, Galway City Council, Galway City Partnership and Shining Light Galway, alongside the Irish Traveller Movement, Global Women’s Strike, adult learning organisation AONTAS and students.
Retirement has done little to slow Michael D Higgins down, judging by the introduction he received at an anti-poverty gathering in Galway.
“Some retirement,” Clare Daly, the European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland (EAPN) Ireland director, remarked as she welcomed the former President to the PorterShed after what she described as an 'incredibly busy week'.
“He’s more active now than most people in this room and there’s no slackers in this room.”
Clare Daly said Galway was deliberately chosen to bring the discussion beyond Dublin and ground it in the experiences of different communities.
“We believe it is important to discuss EU policies beyond the capital but rooted in lived experience in diverse communities,” she said.
“Galway was perfect for that.”
She said its transport links and location within the Northern and Western Region, classified as a 'transition region' under the EU’s 2021–2027 funding programme, also influenced the choice.
Delivering the closing address, Michael D Higgins said tackling poverty required confronting inequality and the distribution of wealth and power.
“It has ultimately, whether we like it or not, to move to having a debate on equality,” he said.
He challenged the priority given to military spending over social provision and stressed the importance of listening to those who had experienced hardship.
“There is nothing, nothing that can be better than the lived experience,” he said.
Drawing on his background teaching social policy, the former President recalled having five graduates working in different areas of Combat Poverty. He criticised the dismantling of the organisation and highlighted the value of research and advocacy in identifying where public programmes were failing people.
He also spoke about the shame associated with poverty and the need for public services to recognise the circumstances and dignity of those seeking help.
Praising workers on picket lines last week, particularly those delivering care and education, Michael D Higgins said he wanted Ireland to become known for providing the best care throughout people’s lives.
He hoped Ireland would earn a reputation as “the country in the European Union that had the best care”.
Galway Traveller activist Bridget Kelly, the Irish Traveller Movement’s national policy coordinator for employment and enterprise and a director of the Galway Traveller Movement, also raised the gap between policy promises and families’ daily lives.
She called for targeted support for families facing overcrowded accommodation, disability and unemployment, saying policies must deliver change for those experiencing the greatest hardship.
“The real test is whether the children and families experiencing the greatest levels of poverty and exclusion actually see a change in their lives,” she said.