Charity sector 'facing collapse' after years of cuts (with case study)
They insisted that a “fiver or tenner” in a struggling person’s pocket would be pointless if the long-term help they needed no longer existed.
The Wheel, the Disability Federation of Ireland, Care Alliance Ireland, Irish Rural Link, the Carmichael Centre for Voluntary Groups and the National Youth Council of Ireland took the joint stand yesterday, warning that six years of cuts had meant that voluntary and charitable services were otherwise facing “absolute collapse”.
At a time when the top-ups scandal continues to hamper public donation drives, and years of recession-enforced cuts has seen state funding for some groups slashed by as much as 77%, director of advocacy at the Wheel, Ivan Cooper, said services must now be restored before untold damage is caused to Ireland’s future recovery.
While acknowledging the political pressure for the wider public to benefit from tax reductions before a likely election next year, the campaigner — whose group acts as an umbrella group for 1,000 separate organisations — said the fact that 36% of charities had been forced to cut services this year due to dwindling funds, despite the fact 67% had seen demand for help rise, shows that hidden difficulties in Irish society must take precedence.
“We’re talking about respite care for families being cut back; the same for home-help services; mental health services; youth services, which are down by a third since 2008 — an absolutely staggering figure — and then of course no money for people with learning disabilities or particular needs.
“It’s just across the board. People need to realise that what’s required now is that, given that two thirds of the ‘adjustments’ — that’s the term the Government uses, from the budget since 2008 have come from the expenditure side, and only one third has come from taxation, what we need to do now is restore those expenditure budgets for public and voluntary services,” Mr Cooper said.
Speaking at the same conference, Disability Federation of Ireland chief executive, John Dolan, said half a decade of cutbacks had meant that services were now in a state of “collapse” or were at the point where people no longer had any faith in them.
Addressing mooted government plans to reduce the top rate of income tax from 41% to 40% in the October 14 Budget, he said a “fiver or tenner” will do nothing to help people if they need support from services which no longer exist.
“Things have gone over the edge and I think every adult now considers themselves vulnerable in some way. If something goes wrong, where are they going to turn to? A fiver in their pocket won’t make a difference.”
The charities also backed a similar call from President Michael D Higgins on Monday, in which he said Ireland was in danger of “drifting” back to the worst excesses of the Celtic Tiger era unless it fully examined alternative, socially-focused economic models.
‘Coping with illness is enough — you don’t need money worries'
People directly dependent on voluntary and charitable services have issued an emotional appeal to Government officials to restore funds to the bodies after revealing how repeated cutbacks are causing havoc to their daily lives.
As part of the joint statement by charity groups seeking to ensure chronic funding gaps are addressed, people suffering from serious medical conditions and the reality of life in recession-hit rural Ireland gave permission for their stories to be told.
Westmeath couple Jane and Eamon, who have two young children, said their life had “dramatically changed” since Jane was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2011.
In addition to the struggle of learning to live with the mentally and physically damaging illness, the Disability Federation of Ireland said the extra financial strain is pushing the couple to the brink — with services they would normally turn to struggling to provide the help they need.
Jane and Eamon said almost half of their monthly disposable income is spent on treatment and services costs, because as they qualify for the long-term illness scheme but not the medical card, only certain drugs are free of charge.
They said the financial pressure they faced includes Jane’s motorised wheelchair, which costs €11,000, increased home heating, specialised mattresses, continence products and other aids.
With the State providing just three essential physiotherapy sessions annually, the couple have been forced to cover Jane’s weekly appointments in Mullingar themselves. While their home is no longer suitable for Jane’s needs, reductions to the housing adaptation grant mean they cannot afford to pay for what is needed — cutting back on the mother-of-two’s independence.
Nuala, a full-time carer for her mother, who has Huntington’s Disease, is in a similar situation.
Speaking through the Care Alliance, Nuala said her mother first started developing the condition — which causes brain cells to degenerate — when she was 45.
Nuala said the money provided by the State via the respite grant allows her to take a break from the 24-hour-a-day support, which she and tens of thousands of other carers provide with little to no acknowledgment on a daily basis.
However, two years ago, the annual fund was cut from €1,700 to less than €1,350, meaning Nuala now only has her €204 weekly carers allowance to pay for what her stricken parent needs, and forcing her to only get medications which are “absolutely necessary” — despite her mother needing a cocktail of tablets for various Huntington’s-related conditions.
The repeated cutbacks are not just affecting people with serious health conditions, with the Irish Rural Link saying it is aware of students having to drop out of college because they cannot afford to live in Dublin due to an escalating rent bubble, or else pay for expensive yearly commutes.
While grants are available, the group said they have been slashed to the extent that young people are having to give up on their future because of the reality that supports are not there to help them now.
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