Maman Poulet

Today’s announcement of the Government’s intention to introduce Work for Dole/Mutual Obligation is more than a kite that is being flown.

This evening’s RTE news showed examples of where people who participate in such a scheme may work including cleaning mountain walkways, community childcare, care of the elderly. A pilot scheme of 10,000 places is to be announced next month. No mention of training for participants or support for groups who ‘employ’ participants, who more than likely have had other funding cut over the past few years. Previous employment and training initiatives required Unions and Employers to pass schemes as not displacing or replacing jobs in local economies. This is going to be more difficult to arrange in the current climate due to the professionalisation of community services and the huge job losses there have been in this sector.

It won’t be long now till we see local TD’s clamoring to get places for a community sector which has already been decimated by government cutbacks. Suddenly the Government will say that they want to help communities as well as ensure that people in receipt of benefits ‘truly want to work’.

This scheme as proposed is not much different from the entitlements for Community Employment except that it will be people on jobseekers benefit who will be entitled/forced to apply and not those who are disabled or lone parents. Community Employment has seen cuts in numbers and cuts in the supports/costs towards projects who employ people on CE. Progression on CE is not an immediate occurance either and the lack of supports for full employment in community sector hinders progression further. This new deal sounds like CE on the cheap – there is no mention of accredited training for those involved either?

A lot of emphasis will be placed by Minister O’Cuiv and supporters on the notion that this will stop people claiming unemployment benefits and be cost neutral. It will be followed by a lot of IBEC/ISME/SFA spin about the workshy etc. However there are over 450,000 people unemployed, that’s a lot of ’shy’ people and very few of these will be forced into these schemes or voluntarily take up places. The scheme does not look at the causes of unemployment or propose solutions. It’s a form of labelling a sector of society.

I’m thinking out some of the very glaring problems with this new programme – we’ve been here before with Social Employment Schemes in the 1980’s and Community Employment from 1990’s until the present. I’m sure readers can add to this list.

– The employment of people on some sort of work for benefit programme displaces other jobs despite the ‘approval’ of unions.
– Reduces the numbers on the ‘live register’ thus looking good for the government.
– Tells people in local communities in receipt of services from those on such a scheme that they are not important enough to receive support from properly paid, qualified, motivated and trained staff – eg. services for older people, people with disabilities and children.
- supporting unemployed people back into work requires resources, experienced supervisors, care, counselling, garda clearance, follow up etc. This may be possible if this new plan is part of existing services, but I would expect community organisations who are well experienced (worn out) in employment schemes to point out the current inadequacies and require more support.

This is not an employment creation scheme and should not been seen as such, it’s being introduced by the Minister for Social Protection – actually can anyone point me to the government’s employment strategy? The IDA appears to be in a mess.

So there’s this weeks kite launched sky wards, I expect much debate and little joined up thinking from those proposing it.

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At 12.15pm  Ciaran Cuffe posted on his blog with reflections on the last two weeks in Irish politics.  An hour or so later the word on Trevor Sargent’s error of judgement emerged.

By 5.00pm Trevor had resigned.

Trevor Sargent resignation speech from Alexia Golez on Vimeo.

Having listened to his interview on Six One News I don’t understand why Trevor didn’t send the constituent to a solicitor?

We’re not going to get any time off this to talk about the economy, NAMA taking charge of those many many ghost estates, hotels and office blocks, Incinerators, you know the important stuff?

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Interesting footage from a protest last week by Kerry Public Sector Workers.  They went to protest at the clinic of Tom McEllstrim TD, a Fianna Fáil backbencher.

Tom warned them that they would face more cuts under any alternative government and he made a jibe at George Lee and also said his expenses were the lowest in Kerry, and that his job was less secure than the protesters.

Is this sort of thing happening around the country?

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With the departure of George Lee (who?) a by-election may be on the cards in Dublin South, but it’s not expected anytime soon.  However one of the possible candidates looks like he has a bit more time to canvass.

Shay Brennan, a vice president for corporate treasury in Anglo Irish Bank ( FF candidate and son of Seamus) is reported to be amongst 230 employees to have taken voluntary redundancy at the company.  Word reaches me that Ron Blacks on Dawson Street was the place to be last night for Anglo employees marking their departure. The scheme was oversubscribed such was the rush for the generous terms on offer (ok it was also not the most popular place to work in one might admit).

So we may be seeing a lot more of Shay in the next few months getting ready for his next run out in the polls.

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Tonight I’ve been delving into the book of estimates released today in addition to the budget which I was tweeting throughout the day.

Isn’t it just miraculous when lots of agencies that deal with peoples lives and provide services directly to people are having their budgets slashed that one – the National Disability Authority (NDA) – has had it’s budget increased by 23%. Yes thats a near 6 times increase in percentage terms of the cut (-4.1%) that all the disabled people will have to take who are in receipt of social welfare.

The disability service budget in the Department of Environment and Local Government has been cut by 32%.

The Equality Tribunal has had a cut of 8% but the Equality Authority has been untouched after it’s 43% cut last year. Oh we should be grateful for small mercies I hear you say, well we could if people actually received any assistance and these organisations weren’t politically addled or kneecapped.

The HSE has had cuts of 5% across the board and this will mean cuts to all disability services that it funds for the 400,000 disabled people in the state. The budget for disabled people and children’s dental care has been cut by over 33%. A 23% increase in the budget of the NDA – surely this must be a typo??

I await the huge increase in dialogue with people with disabilities that surely must occur now that the NDA has so much extra money! I may be kept waiting.

Maybe they could assist all the disabled people paying huge amounts out of their disability allowance for residential services and now for their medication needed to keep them alive from their reduced Disability Allowance.

There are surely other anomalies in the book of estimates vs. the budget. However I can’t wait to see the strategic plan for the greatly endowed agency which provides advice to the state on disability issues.

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The Seanad is debating the NAMA Bill and Alexia began a live blog of the debate yesterday which for this injured chicken was a delightful way of continuing my recuperation!

Some intriguing questions – Where was Shane Ross during the debate – ‘Business Regulation Expert’ too busy promoting the book? Or too wary of speaking in the house on the issue?  Why is Joe O’Toole of INTO and ICTU fame consistently voting with the Government on the issue? He thinks supporting NAMA is consistent with supporting social democracy according to Senator Alex White.

The Green Party contributions have been as numerous as in the lower house – ie. not a lot.

And then there’s been the tweeting Senators – this is now officially the the most tweeted event from members of the Oireachtas. Paschal Donohue,  Jerry Buttimer and sometimes even Dan Boyle are tweeting during the debate from the chamber – the heckles continue online and are captured in the Liveblog.

The debate in the Seanad has actually been of a high quality with speakers generally well prepared. And there has been a flock of ministers into bring the bill thorugh the house (Flock according to Frances Fitzgerald – whirlygig according to David Norris)

Hop over to the liveblog to have a look at the pictures, Duracell Bunnies and Ladybird books as well as the results and commentary as it happens.

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Fresh from interrupting the Today with Pat Kenny outside broadcast in the Savoy Cinema in O’Connell Street in Dublin, the Community Development Alliance launched CAMA outside the GPO yesterday. (You can listen to the interruption here – (real player required and it’s about 41 minutes in.)  Conor Lenihan and George Lee were said to be a bit put off by it, oops.

The Community Assets Management Agency was launched by people involved in Community Development Projects throughout the country.  Many of those outside were dressed in costumes from 1916 as a proclamation was read. Those who have benefited from the services provided spoke alongside the activists who are leading the campaign.

You can also watch Noreen Byrne from the North Clondalkin CDP speak about the impact of the cuts there and Rita Fagan from St. Michaels CDP lead the group in song. (You may remember Rita from her appearance on Tonight with Vincent Brown where former banker Mike Soden made those remarks about Lone Parents.)

Kitty Holland’s report in the Irish Times includes a quote from Minister for State John Curran regarding the future of the CDP’s, one third of which are due to close and many others to be merged or otherwise severely cut.

Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, John Curran, confirmed today the CDP programme was under review. “I will shortly have a full report on the findings and recommendations,” he said.

It was his intention not to wind-up CDPs but to ensure “a more focused programme with clear objectives, simplified and streamlined delivery structures and better integrated actions, leading to significant administrative savings and impact efficiencies”. This would involve some closing, he said.

You wouldn’t think that the Minister was dealing with peoples lives, never mind livelihoods from the tone of his comments. A scene from Yes Minister?

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While unions, government and the private sector bicker over pay cuts, higher taxation and ‘you earn more than I do’, communities across the land are being decimated by cuts, amalgamations and the steamroller that is the politics of bulldozing the oppressed.

The cuts in services in the field of anti-poverty projects, community childcare, community health, meals on wheels, drop in services, drug rehabilitation projects, projects, youth work organisations ,and community regeneration go largely unreported. It’s not about builders, trophy houses, ministerial salaries or politicians expenses – it’s about the lives of young old, parents, disabled and able bodied and traditionally disenfranchised and those who work with them who have fought hard to build and support themselves and others.

An alliance of community workers and projects are launching CAMA - if you are sick of NAMA this new agency will probably be easier to understand, transparent, able to whistle blow and far more important and feasible to fight to see established.

The Community Development Alliance has set up a new agency to protect the most vulnerable people in Ireland. CAMA aims to protect the Community Development Projects that are being closed down at a time when their services are most needed. Community Development Projects give a voice to those people and communities who consistently experience poverty; we empower people to set up the services, politics and programmes aimed at reducing poverty and inequality. CAMA aims to articulate and protect those those voices.

The board of CAMA and the Community Development Alliance calls for the retention of the CDP programme, with all of its values and ethos protected, including the bottom up approach, and the retention of all community assets that were sought for and fought for in the name of those people and communities who are poor, vulnerable and left out on the margins.

We urge the government to listen to us and reverse the decision to close projects down. It will only hurt the young, the old, the poor, the disabled, the excluded and the marginalised – and it will cost the state more in the end. CDP’s have a proven track record as a ‘value for money’ and it attracts five times more funding that the Department gives to the programme.

The first public event hosted by CAMA will take place on 11am on Friday November 6th at a Press Conference. The venue is a public one, outside of the GPO, on the streets, in solidarity with those communities and CDP’s who will soon lose their projects and community premises and services. CAMA will announce it’s alternative vision for a more equal society.

Speakers will include those who experience poverty and disability, voluntary boards of management, and board members of CAMA. If you believe in equality and a fair share for the poor then please come and hear us.

So that’s 11 am at the GPO on Friday next – all are welcome – if anyone is free with a camera and wants to blog it even better. I hope to be attending in my own Special Purpose Vehicle!

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I’m in the RDS this afternoon for the Green Party Conference on the Renewed Programme for Government. There is a liveblog running and Green Party members are inside the hall tweeting. You can read the full document online and it was available a good hour before the printed version. Loads of reaction online to the contents already this morning. More from me on the liveblog later.

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Next Saturday afternoon the Green Party will debate a revised programme for government which is currently under negotiation with Fianna Fáil. Other than animal welfare/hare coursing (Now backpedalled?) and further changes to NAMA there has been mention that a new framework for Equality monitoring and enforcement being on the agenda.

Another chance for John Gormley to say that the party has saved the day in terms of equality and human rights infrastructure in Ireland. Do you remember the last time he said that the Greens had saved the day? Very little has changed in terms of the cuts experienced by the Equality Authority or the faith and trust of the groups affected by the nine grounds covered under the Equal Status Act.

Before we hear more the deal has to be finalised and of course voted on and passed by two thirds of the party at a special conference to be held in Dublin next weekend. All the Greens (elected and lay members) have been told not to talk about this in public and so all is quiet from the public representatives. Although we did hear yesterday from Senator Dan Boyle and Deputy Ciaran Cuffe regarding the passing of the amendment on the Treaty of Reform of the European Union (I never want to hear the word Lisbon and Treaty again!)

Expect the screw to be turned on the party to do the right thing/in the national interest/insert other worthy statement here. I think it won’t be the deers that will be alone in being stalked in the meantime.

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