Charity association calls for €445m in budget to protect services
Deirdre Garvey, CEO, and Sarah Monaghan, campaigns manager at The Wheel don masks to launch their pre-budget submission.
The Wheel, the national association of charities, has called on the Government to set aside €445m in the budget to protect the core services provided by charities, volunteer organisations, and social enterprises.
In a recent survey of charities conducted by the association, 50% of respondents experienced an increase in demand for their service while 82% of respondents reported they were very concerned about whether there will be sufficient funding to provide services in 2021.
CEO of The Wheel, Deirdre Garvey, said that the Government must focus the economic recovery of the Covid-19 pandemic in the community.
"It should foreground organisations supporting people by delivering services and supports and in the areas of health and wellbeing, mental health, disability, social care, education, poverty, homelessness, addiction, supports for the elderly, domestic violence, and so many more."
Funding a streamlined compliance and regulation system would allow charities to enter their data
— The Wheel (@The_Wheel_IRL) September 24, 2020
on a ‘report once, use often’ basis, accessed by multiple departments as required - efficently reducing administrative costs for both charities and the state. #FundCommunity #Budget21 pic.twitter.com/jtxsq9ib0G
Ms Garvey said that while she welcomes the Covid-19 Stability Fund for Community and Voluntary, Charity and Social Enterprise, it was only a short-term solution for charities in need of urgent cashflow.
"Now we must move towards a long-term economic recovery which is fair and equitable," she said. "During Covid-19 we saw that we can only be judged by how we treat society’s most vulnerable. We must now ensure we are investing in the areas that will support recovery through community.”
