Added on 25/10/2010

Alongside the people of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the Board for Social Theology recognises that the Comprehensive Spending Review from the Chancellor of the Exchequer in London and the imminent Dublin Budget will lead to difficult times in the years ahead. The cuts to both benefits and public sector jobs will inevitably impact on lifestyles and have costs at a human level.
 
The Board for Social Theology calls on members of the Church of Ireland and the wider community, North and South, to remain committed to the Christian principles that underpin society at its best. We affirm the life-giving value of relational living, which has always been a premium in Irish society.
 
In the run-up to Christmas, we encourage all people to remember the value of living within our own means and of taking a responsible approach to the season. We ask people to remain faithful to charitable giving – conscious of those in the world, at home and abroad, who have less than nothing.
 
We call on society at large and particularly decision makers in Dublin, Belfast and London, to remain committed to protecting the most vulnerable in our society.

For further information please contact:
Church of Ireland Press Office Church of Ireland House 61–67 Donegall Street Belfast BT1 2QH Tel: (028) 9082 8880 (from NI) Tel: (048) 9082 8880 (from RoI) Fax (028) 9032 3554 E–mail: Press Office
Paul Harron: (duty phone) +44 (0)7787 881582 Janet Maxwell: (duty phone) +353 (0) 87 948 4412  www.ireland.anglican.org/news