The Government needs to raise up to €3bn in additional tax revenue per year to fund a fair, equal and progressive future for Ireland according to a new book published today by Social Justice Ireland.

'Social Justice Matters: A 2018 guide to a fairer Irish society' can be read in full here.

In the new report SJI argue that tax has now become a dirty word in Ireland.

They argue that the legitimacy of Ireland’s tax system is at stake as the richest entities in the world use it to pay lower tax bills.

They suggest that raising taxes or creating new taxes is now politically toxic, even if it is to fund vital and ageing public infrastructure; while cutting taxes is a popular political tool, often used in the run up to elections and nearly always regressive in nature.

The problem with this, they suggest, is that Ireland needs more tax revenue, not less.

Social Justice Matters go on to argue that Ireland needs to increase and broaden its tax base by €3bn to keep exchequer funds safe through uncertain economic times, fund decent public services, upgrade ageing national infrastructure; and to ensure Ireland becomes a fairer and more equal society in the future.

It argues that the money can be raised from measures such as a minimum effective corporate tax rate of 10%, a financial transactions tax, eco-taxes, and increasing the minimum effective tax rates on high earners – to name a few.

The proposals in Social Justice Matters are just part of a thorough analysis and guide to issues of social justice in Ireland published in the 300-page review.

The book is a comprehensive guide to social justice in Ireland and challenges citizens, opinion formers and policymakers to imagine how a fairer society can be achieved.

Seán Healy, CEO of Social Justice Ireland, said SJI want to chart a course to a better Ireland.

"At the foundation of that is how we raise taxes and how much tax we raise.

"We are a low revenue economy, yet we are one of the richest countries in the world. It should be a priority to find those additional resources, not to squander the resources we have.”

Eamon Murphy, Economic and Social Analyst with Social Justice Ireland, went on: “We need to collect sufficient tax to ensure full participation in society for all through a fair tax system in which those who have more pay more, while those who have less pay less. With this book, policymakers have a guide for how that can be done.”

- Digital Desk