Voluntary groups face €20m cut to funding

STAFF at state-aided voluntary bodies face wage cuts of more than €20 million after the Government told the Health Service Executive to press ahead with the cuts, despite the Tánaiste’s assertion they would not be affected.

At the end of last month, Tánaiste Mary Coughlan claimed staff in organisations such as Enable Ireland and Barnardos would not suffer the same percentage of wage cuts as public servants did in the December budget, but correspondence seen by the Irish Examiner shows the cuts are to go ahead.

In one letter, the secretary general of the Department of Health Michael Scanlan tells Brendan Drumm there should be a “corresponding” €21.5m reduction in grants to the agencies.