Organisations representing over 1000 charities
have asked the Government to draw up a cross-departmental strategy to
protect key public services.
The joint call was made by six national organisations , the Wheel, the Disability Federation of Ireland, Care Alliance Ireland, Irish Rural Link, Carmichael Centre for Voluntary Groups and the National Youth Council of Ireland at a press conference in Dublin today in advance of next month’s budget .
The
Government regularly made the important point that there was a need to
achieve sustainability in the public finances, the group said in a
statement.
“We agree,’’ it added. “The challenge,
however, is to do this while preserving our social fabric and the public
services that people rely on.’’
Director of the Wheel Ivan Cooper
said a successful economy depended on a successful society.
“We cannot
have one without the other,’’ he added. “Yet our current national
recovery programme is degrading the social basis for a sustainable
future.’’