Funding for NGOs will be ‘core question’ after Covid pandemic, says Mike Ryan

A “core question” after the pandemic would be how to ensure adequate and stable funding for NGOs providing vital public services, executive director of the World Health Organization’s health emergencies programme has said.

Mike Ryan, speaking at the publication of Cope Galway's 2020 annual report, said many organisations working at the frontline of the pandemic, including in domestic violence and homelessness, were non-governmental and forced to "rob Peter to pay Paul".

Cope, based in Galway city, provided homelessness, domestic violence and older persons support services last year to 2,616 individuals, including 350 children in 138 families, and 606 single people, who were homeless; 79 women with 84 children who were admitted to its refuge and 182 older people, during first lockdown.

In May it opened Modh Eile House domestic abuse refuge with self-contained units.

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These could “not be seen as ‘extra’” said Dr Ryan. “We saw in the pandemic, lockdowns often put people in more fragile and vulnerable situations, in the home particularly – whether that is child abuse domestic abuse, elder abuse.

“The non-government sector are providing core services on behalf of the Government. This is not charity. This is about a government being able to design a policy that delivers part of its service through the community sector. That funding has to be stable.”

The “core question” was “being able to sustain the service” beyond the pandemic.

“Very often non-governmental organisations are much better positioned to manage those services cost-effectively. You are in the communities. You know the community. You know the services that are needed. So the Government has to work in partnership to ensure that the funding arises and you have adequate funding to deliver those services on behalf of all of society.

“I think in many countries we have this difficulty for civil society organisations in delivering services, constantly robbing Peter to pay Paul, constantly in unstable funding situations even though they are providing core services. So I think we really have to look at the funding model and how that public-private partnership works between organisations and government,” said Dr Ryan.

Outgoing chief executive of Cope, Jacquie Lynskey, said secure funding for "third sector" was "a long-standing challenge for us in Ireland".

Now head of the charity’s support service for older people, she said discrimination against older people was a key aspect of the isolation and loneliness experienced by some.

Dr Ryan said older people were too often portrayed as a drain on society, when in fact the majority contributed to it. The constant imagery of older people in the media was “always as vulnerable…frail” when “in the main living a healthy, longer life is something that most people expect…We have to find ways to highlight that, champion that and give voice to older people in our society”.