Minister Carey – on Travellers, Women, national organisations, the Department’s new strength, cuts

As promised in Tuesday’s blog entry, here’s more from our ‘Changing Ireland’ interview with the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, Pat Carey.

The scheme for funding National Organisations in the Community and Voluntary Sector is now coming to the end of its three-year cycle but the signs are positive that it will be continued under Minister Pat Carey.

The Minister and his officials are meanwhile aware and working to deal with particular concerns of Women’s CDPs and Traveller CDPs as part of the emerging Local and Community Development Programme.

The Minister noted that the media had written-off his Department earlier this year and couldn’t have got it more wrong as it has doubled in size.

“The new Department will be a serious, policy-driven department. There’s a huge amount of expertise here. I think this Department will be quite a significant crucible for ideas,” he said.

Here are some further extracts from the interview:

Editor, Allen Meagher: Would your intention be that the scheme for funding National Organisations in the Community and Voluntary Sector would continue?

Minister Pat Carey: “I don’t want to anticipate anything, but I’ve to be honest, it’s an approach that worked very well. I started the process of (funding for) a three-year (period). You need that.”

Editor: So you would hope to have another similar scheme?

Minister: “I would yes. I’m satisfied from dealing with it. But there’s a review going on because there could be new emerging needs and there might be very valid new groups out there who aren’t getting a half-penny (yet).”

Editor, Allen Meagher: With regard to the LCDP, is there any special provision being made for Traveller CDPs. I understand there’s an issue for them with Partnership boards that don’t generally have Traveller representatives?

Minister: “I’ve met with the main Traveller organisations and my view is that a model will be developed which will address the concerns and the needs of the Traveller community.”

Editor: And how about Women’s CDPs?

Minister: “The same thing.”

Editor: Will Gaeltacht CDPs be going in under Udaras?

Minister: “A small number, maybe.”

Would you agree that the Community Sector has been disproportionately cut, as claimed in research published today?

“I don’t want to anticipate the next budget.”

The Sunday Business Post suggested that communities are in for bigger cuts than other areas?

“This Department (of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs ) was three months ago due to be abolished, it’s now doubled in size so I wouldn’t pay a huge amount of attention to that.”

THAT’S IT FOR NOW! THE FULL INTERVIEW WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE UPCOMING PRINT EDITION OF ‘CHANGING IRELAND’.

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