The Wholesome Photo of the Month Thu May 09, 2024 11:01 | Anti-Empire
In 3 War Years Russia Will Have Spent $3... Thu May 09, 2024 02:17 | Anti-Empire
UK Sending Missiles to Be Fired Into Rus... Tue May 07, 2024 14:17 | Marko Marjanović
US Gives Weapons to Taiwan for Free, The... Fri May 03, 2024 03:55 | Anti-Empire
Russia Has 17 Percent More Defense Jobs ... Tue Apr 30, 2024 11:56 | Marko Marjanović Anti-Empire >>
A bird's eye view of the vineyard
Alternative Copy of thesaker.is site is available Thu May 25, 2023 14:38 | Ice-Saker-V6bKu3nz Alternative site: https://thesaker.si/saker-a... Site was created using the downloads provided Regards Herb
The Saker blog is now frozen Tue Feb 28, 2023 23:55 | The Saker Dear friends As I have previously announced, we are now “freezing” the blog. We are also making archives of the blog available for free download in various formats (see below).
What do you make of the Russia and China Partnership? Tue Feb 28, 2023 16:26 | The Saker by Mr. Allen for the Saker blog Over the last few years, we hear leaders from both Russia and China pronouncing that they have formed a relationship where there are
Moveable Feast Cafe 2023/02/27 ? Open Thread Mon Feb 27, 2023 19:00 | cafe-uploader 2023/02/27 19:00:02Welcome to the ‘Moveable Feast Cafe’. The ‘Moveable Feast’ is an open thread where readers can post wide ranging observations, articles, rants, off topic and have animate discussions of
The stage is set for Hybrid World War III Mon Feb 27, 2023 15:50 | The Saker Pepe Escobar for the Saker blog A powerful feeling rhythms your skin and drums up your soul as you?re immersed in a long walk under persistent snow flurries, pinpointed by The Saker >>
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005
RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail supporter? Anthony
Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony
Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony
RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony
Waiting for SIPO Anthony Public Inquiry >>
Indymedia Ireland is a volunteer-run non-commercial open publishing website for local and international news, opinion & analysis, press releases and events. Its main objective is to enable the public to participate in reporting and analysis of the news and other important events and aspects of our daily lives and thereby give a voice to people.
Julian Assange is finally free ! Tue Jun 25, 2024 21:11 | indy
Stand With Palestine: Workplace Day of Action on Naksa Day Thu May 30, 2024 21:55 | indy
It is Chemtrails Month and Time to Visit this Topic Thu May 30, 2024 00:01 | indy
Hamburg 14.05. "Rote" Flora Reoccupied By Internationalists Wed May 15, 2024 15:49 | Internationalist left
Eddie Hobbs Breaks the Silence Exposing the Hidden Agenda Behind the WHO Treaty Sat May 11, 2024 22:41 | indy Human Rights in Ireland >>
|
Another Government attack on democracy
national |
politics / elections |
news report
Monday February 26, 2007 22:17 by In The Know
CDP's warned off by Government in advance of elections. Below is the content of a circular distributed to all Community Development Projects in Ireland. CDP’s are Government funded NGO’s established, according to the Department of Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs “to support the mobilisation of local communities to tackle disadvantage. Voluntary and community groups have pioneered many creative approaches to tackling the most profound social problems in ways that Governments alone cannot do. By supporting projects that encourage the active voluntary participation and development of community leadership in the targeted areas, Government will continue to improve the quality of life for everyone in these communities.”
http://www.pobail.ie/en/PressReleases/htmltext,7798,en.html
Recently Rory Hearne wrote a series of scathing articles for the Village Magazine highlighting living conditions and Government intervention in working class “disadvantaged” areas around the country. The articles relied heavily on the input of CDP groups and other community groups working at the coalface in these areas for their input and the conclusions were pretty damning for the Government.
Obviously the articles hit a raw nerve in the FF/PD coalition as can be seen by the edited circular below.
********************
To the Chairperson of the VBoM of each CDP
Dear Chairperson
I want to take this opportunity to underline the requirement that Projects funded under the Community Development Programme (and associated Exchequer and EU programmes) must operate on a strictly non party-political basis. Your CDP is funded to deliver Government policies and provide services in the public interest and it is essential that this be done in an equitable, transparent and non-partisan way.
In this regard, the Board and management of your CDP must ensure that the identity or assets of the company do not become associated in any way with political organisations or their representatives, or with any individual(s) seeking election to public office.
Where a group fails to satisfy this requirement, the Department will have no option but to consider the suspension or permanent withdrawal of funding.
Yours sincerely
*******************
Local and Community Development Programmes
There is a multitude of implications contained in the above letter as it is open to a number of interpretations. The first point is that the circular insists that CDP’s exist to “deliver Government policies” this is a new departure as many CDP’s have successfully and unsuccessfully lobbied and campaigned against Government policies in the past and present.
Secondly, the circular hints that any association with candidates could result in funding being ended. This is obviously an attempt to frighten Voluntary Board of Management Members who are usually local people concerned about their neighbourhoods into avoiding getting involved in political activism of any description. CDP’s in the past have been to the forefront in mobilising people to oppose social welfare cuts, increase childcare provision, ending child poverty, supporting second chance education and rights for migrants/refugees. If CDP’s exist now purely to deliver Government Policies and services then this activism will end.
Another implication will be that CDP Board of Management Committees could be forced to ask their staff not to run for public office for fear the CDP will be identified with a political organisation or candidate and loose their funding. This is also particularly ridiculous as if taken further than just CDP’s would mean that all organisations funded by the Government could have similar conditions applied to them.
Potentially all school, hospital, public servants, FAS training centres, etc, etc, could find themselves in the same position.
|
View Comments Titles Only
save preference
Comments (1 of 1)
Jump To Comment: 1This is only the start. If they have their way all opposition from community groups will mean no funding it all started with the community workers coop and once thy were let cut their funding the doors opened for this to become the norm.