Carmichael House – Government indifference led to closure

In the Government’s collective post-election navel-gazing, which commenced in earnest for Fianna Fáil at a parliamentary party meeting yesterday, they might just consider a classic example of their duplicitous attitude which attracted an electoral odium of historic proportions.

Carmichael House in Dublin is the epitome of the double standards that people had come to expect from the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats Coalition.

Carmichael Centre for Voluntary Groups is a registered charity providing a total package of supports in a cost-effective environment for 45 small voluntary groups. Those groups are concerned with illness, social care, sport, education, the environment and disability.

Almost exactly one month ago, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said when opening the refurbished Carmichael House: "With such support in place, voluntary groups can concentrate their energies on what they do best serving people. I am confident that you will continue to provide a valuable resource for the sector well into the future."

Mr Ahern's confidence was exceptionally short-lived. One month later the centre is facing closure, because the Government has not guaranteed funding of €300,000 a year which it requires to remain open.

For the past few years it has been lobbying for the funding, which it is legitimately entitled to, and, importantly, had attracted substantial other funding because of this expectation. The annual budget for the centre is only about €825,000 and the Department of Health has committed to giving it €150,000 a year.

Last December, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, which looks after charities, gave the centre €75,000 and insists that is sufficient.

The Taoiseach's brother, Noel Ahern, is the junior minister in charge of the department.

For guaranteed funding of a mere €300,000 a year by any yardstick Carmichael House offers incredible value to the Government, but more importantly, vital services at a very wide community level.

It would directly benefit the 45 resident member groups and the other hundreds of community and voluntary groups who regularly access its services and which, in turn, provide services to over 10% of the Irish population.

More than 350 organisations avail of the centre's services, supports and training programmes regularly.

The Government is obviously indifferent to the invaluable work that flows from the centre and the incalculable benefit to people all over the country. This is the kernel of the Government's electoral problems.

Both parties are engaged in almost an internecine war in their efforts to lay the blame on the other.

The fact is that ministers have a collective responsibility for the policies they implemented and the promises on which they reneged. Their parliamentary party members, especially those of the larger Fianna Fáil, colluded in their complacency of silence to the detriment of those who had elected them to fight for their concerns.

There was appalling waste of money, yet essential services were ignored. Rules were bent or ignored to throw money at rowing clubs and racecourses, while schools crumbled and hospital wards remained closed.

Carmichael House, at least, can still survive to help a country-wide community if the Government has learned anything at all from the election debacle which is to listen to people.