Organisation to meet

The meeting will take place in the City Hotel on Thursday November 10 at 1pm.

Organiser for the Services Industrial Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU), Martin O’Rourke said:“We have become increasingly concerned that organisations providing vital services to the most vulnerable in society, who are already operating on a ‘shoestring’ budget, are being asked to make further ‘efficiencies.’

“These essential services cannot be provided to our communities unless adequate funding is put in place. Inflation is currently running at over 5% and even if funding was provided at last year’s level this would result in a reduction in real terms of over 5%.

“This meeting is one of several across the local economy to ensure the community and voluntary sector can learn from the experiences of other organisations and speak and act with one collective voice.”

Karen Mullan, Chairperson of the Western Organising Committee, called upon all Community and voluntary sector organisations who receive funding from DSD to come to the meeting to learn from our shared experiences and to develop a shared strategy for engagements with DSD.

She said: “This vital sector has already received disproportionate cuts and as a result the most disadvantaged in our society have suffered. It is time to reserves this trend and the first step in doing so is the organisations attendance at this meeting.”

According to SIPTU The Community and Voluntary Sector only receive 45% of its operating costs from Government funding and in return for every £1.00 invested delivers £4 to the local economy. It delivers essential services at a lower cost than government agencies can, and despite this has already seen a 10% reduction in services and jobs over the last two years.