Voluntary groups seek Govt funding to prevent staff exodus

A body representing community and voluntary organisations in Ireland is seeking increased Government funding to help such groups hold onto their staff.

The Wheel claimed today that the voluntary sector was currently being forced to increase pay levels in line with those contained in national wage agreements in order to prevent staff from taking up better-paid jobs elsewhere.

Spokesperson Deirdre Garvey said: "We don't have the money to sustain that because the money that we get from public fund-raising or as a grant from government doesn't go up year-on-year automatically."