Budget 2023: Open Letter to Ministers highlights the impact of the systemic and long-term underfunding of charities and voluntary bodies
September 22 2022, 04:52pm
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Today, Thursday 22 September 2022, John Dolan, CEO of the Disability Federation of Ireland, has added his name to an open letter to the Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe TD and the Minister for Public Expenditure, Michael McGrath TD.
The letter addresses the systemic, long-term underfunding of charities and voluntary bodies that deliver essential public services which now threatens the very viability of these services to tens of thousands of vulnerable people supported on a daily basis by our organisations.
The letter follows below:
Open letter for the attention of :
Mr Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Finance
Mr Michael McGrath, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform
Thursday Sept. 22nd 2022
Dear Ministers Donohoe and McGrath,
Systemic, long-term underfunding of charities and voluntary bodies that deliver essential public services now threatens the very viability of these services to tens of thousands of vulnerable people supported on a daily basis by our organisations.
Cuts imposed following the economic crash of 2008, reversed for virtually all areas except in much of our sector, mean that delivery of a diverse range of HSE, Tusla and homeless services is fast becoming untenable.
This funding starvation means, for example, that an estimated 7,000 people approved for home care remain on waiting lists.
The future sustainability and viability of public services must be addressed now.
Next week’s Budget must provide an additional €100m in urgent funding and be combined with multi-annual funding provision.
The new public sector pay agreement must be applied equitably to support recruitment and retention of all qualified public service delivery personnel in the voluntary sector.
This issue can no longer be ignored.
The government has a duty to ensure that essential services for tens of thousands of families are not fatally undermined in the months ahead.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Connolly, CEO Barnardos
John Dolan, CEO, Disability Federation of Ireland
Deirdre Garvey, CEO, The Wheel
Alison Harnett, CEO, National Federation of Voluntary Service Providers
Sharon Harty, Acting CEO, National Voluntary Drug and Alcohol Sector
Fiacre Hensey, CEO, National Community Care Network
Catherine Kenny, Chairperson, Dublin Homeless Network
Wayne Stanley, Head of Policy and Communications, Simon Communities of Ireland
c.c. An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin
An Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar
Minister Eamon Ryan
Minister Stephen Donnelly
Minister Helen McEntee
Minister Roderic O’Gorman
Minister Anne Rabbitte
Fiona O’Connor, Special Advisor
Grant Sweetnam, Special Advisor.