Comment & Analysis

The new Local and Community Development Programme

The design of the new Local and Community Development Programme was presented by the Centre for Effective Services on November 11th. For more please click here

CWC Statement in relation to the ICTU Get Up Stand Up Campaign

Members of the CWC marched to support the Get Up Stand Up campaign all over the country. Addressing the 5,000 people in Galway City, Ann Irwin, CWC National Co-ordinator stated that, in marching with the public and private sectors,  the Community Sector were expressing their right to be heard. She stated that the CWC represents community workers and community organisations working with the most disadvantaged in society - Travellers, people with disabilities, migrant workers, etc. - that did not benefit from the Celtic Tiger period. She said that there is a three pronged attacked - on the most disadvantaged people, on the services they depend on and on the community organisations that work with people to make long-term beneficial changes to their lives. She also stated that the current approach was being sold as having an economic imperative but is actually ideologically driven - by an ideology that does not recognise or respect equality, social justice or social inclusion. She finished by saying that it was time to change that ideology to one that reflects the concerns of communities. To download a copy of the CWC Statement in relation to the ICTU Get Up Stand Up Campaign please click here

Report of Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes (McCarthy Report)

On the 16th of July 2009, the Minister for Finance, Mr. Brian Lenihan, T.D., released the Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes.  The Group was chaired by UCD Economist Mr. Colm McCarthy. The Group's mandate was to examine all current Exchequer spending across all Departments and agencies, to see where expenditure and staff savings might be made, as necessary in the current financial crisis. The CWC has issued a number of documents in response to the Report of Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes. For more please click here.