Claim community services may close

MANY COMMUNITY projects delivering services such as meals on wheels and childcare which would otherwise cost the State “a fortune…

MANY COMMUNITY projects delivering services such as meals on wheels and childcare which would otherwise cost the State “a fortune” face closure because of Government cuts, it was claimed yesterday.

Séamus Boland, chief executive of Irish Rural Link, said he feared many projects could not continue because of the way vital funding had been cut earlier this year. He said services provided by the Community Services Programme nationwide were being endangered. The programme is funded by the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs.

The projects under threat included meals on wheels, visitation of the elderly, rural transport, after-school study and recycling initiatives, he said. Mr Boland said the projects employed over 2,700 people, delivering a huge variety of services to disadvantaged or vulnerable people.

Community Services Programme national network chairwoman Jill Carey said that, earlier this year, the Government had introduced severe cuts of 16 per cent and also cut the €4,000 grant for the workers in the schemes.

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“This cut has meant many centres will not be able to pay their ESB or other bills and will not be able to continue because this money was used for administration,” she said.

“We are now having to turn our energies to fundraising and this is taking from the work we do, which in the main is invisible or forgotten.”

She said the Government would be in grave difficulty if it had to replace all the important caring and community services which the programmes provided.

Dublin Community Services Programme network chairman Joe Garland said it was vital the service he was involved with in Ballyfermot did not face any more cuts.

Mr Boland said it had been estimated that one of the projects in Co Mayo generated €1.5 million for the local economy in addition to the jobs involved.