Siptu Announce Protest Rally at Dáil

One of Ireland's largest unions is organising a protest rally at Daíl Eireann on Friday to protest against proposed Budget cuts to Community Employment Schemes.

Announcing the action, Siptu said the future viability of hundreds of Community Employment schemes across the country employing tens of thousands of people was now "in doubt" after a 66% cut in funding announced in Budget 2012.

Materials and training grants for schemes providing services to children, the elderly, the disabled and disadvantaged have been slashed from €1,500 per participant to just €500 for next, according to union bosses.

SIPTU Campaign Coordinator, Darragh O’Connor, said: “In areas of disadvantage Community Employment is often the only access people have to work, training and education.

"The Government has said that fairness is a core principle with regard to this budget. Let them demonstrate that is the case by reversing these savage cutbacks which threaten the entire future of Community Employment in our country.”

A range of organisations including OPEN, Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign, North Inner City CE Network, ICTU Community Committee, Congress Centre Network, and Lone Parents Campaign for Change and Mental Health Ireland is supporting the rally.

Frances Byrne, Chief Executive of OPEN representing lone parents in Ireland said single parent families had already been hit in past budgets and described the decision as "disgraceful".

“According to official statistics lone parents are Ireland’s poorest families and have already been hit with deep cuts to their social welfare payments in the last three budgets. This disgraceful decision to abolish family payments for those who take up Community Employment will mean fewer and fewer lone parents will be able to move from welfare to work, thus consigning our families to worsening poverty and deprivation,” Ms Byrne said.

(DW)