Budget 2023: Open Letter to Ministers highlights the impact of the systemic and long-term underfunding of charities and voluntary bodies

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. 22^nd 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.