The Wheel’s General Election 2024 Hustings: Advocating for Community and Voluntary Sector Priorities
We are delighted to report on our General Election 2024 Hustings Event, which took place in the Carmelite Centre, Dublin 2 on Wednesday morning, 13 November.
Representatives of seven political parties joined us to address the critical issues facing Ireland’s community and voluntary sector. Each of our panellists had the opportunity to speak about their and their party’s priorities to support the future of community, and a thriving sector. Members of The Wheel then had the opportunity to ask questions and make statements on what was important to them and the people that they serve.
The Panellists
We are very grateful to our panellists, which included candidates and policy experts, who offered a range of perspectives on the most pressing sectoral issues. The panel consisted of:
- Richard Bruton, Fine Gael – Vice Chair of the Fine Gael Policy Lab
- Ian Carey, Green Party – Candidate
- Paul Donnelly, Sinn Féin – Candidate
- Cathal McCann, Labour Party – Political Director
- Chris Pender, Social Democrats – Candidate
- Lynda Prendergast, Fianna Fáil – Candidate
- Conor Reddy, People Before Profit-Solidarity – Candidate, ably stepping in for Hazel de Noirtúin
We’d like to express our sincere gratitude to each panellist for their time, insights, and engagement with the issues that matter most to our sector.
The Issues
The panel discussions covered a range of topics crucial to the community and voluntary sector, highlighting both policy priorities and actionable steps to support our essential services:
Cross-sectoral Issues:
- Multi-annual Funding: The need for sustainable funding that allows for long-term strategic planning and provides reassurance to the people who rely on our sevices.
- Match Funding for European Funds: Ensuring Ireland’s community and voluntary organisations can access European funding through the provision of much-needed match funding from government.
- Sector Independence: The importance of the sector having a voice in policy debate, delivering on real social dialogue, while working in partnership with the State to provide essential services.
- Recruitment and Retention: Strategies to attract and retain skilled workers in the community and voluntary sector.
- Pay Parity: Addressing the disparities in pay within the sector to reflect the invaluable work being done.
- Policy Coherence: The need for joined-up thinking across Government Departments to ensure a systemic approach to the implementation of strategies.
Sub-sectoral Issues:
- Domestic, Sexual, and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV): Including training for the judiciary and frontline staff in how to support victims of DSGBV.
- Family Law: Resourcing the recently-enacted Family Courts Act to establish family court divisions within the existing courts – a Family High Court, a Family Circuit Court, and a Family District Court.
- Community Childcare: How can we build sustainable and accessible childcare services to meet the needs of working families?
- Support for Older People: Addressing social isolation and ensuring adequate resources.
- Disability Support Services: Including income adequacy, housing for people with disabilities and CASS funding, our commitments under the UNCRPD, supports for Irish Sign Language, and meaningful engagement with stakeholders.
- Sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals: acknowledging that we are at a tipping point with Climate Change and supporting education for sustainable development.
- Community Wealth Building: Developing local economies that benefit communities and reinvest wealth at the local level.
- Poverty: Particularly addressing child poverty and consistent poverty.
- Housing: Acknowledging the current housing and homelessness crisis and how to tackle it.
- Addiction Services: Expanding and funding programs to help individuals facing addiction issues.
- Restorative Justice: Ensuring that people leaving prison are given the support they need to thrive in their communities, and ways to reduce recidivism.
- Community Infrastructure: Building and maintaining the physical spaces that support communities across the life-cycle.
Our panellists thoughtfully engaged with these topics, responding to questions posed by our member organisations and offering a variety of perspectives and proposed solutions.
Thank YOU!
To you, our members who participated in the event, posed important questions, and helped deliver a meaningful discussion, we thank you most sincerely. Your voices play an essential role in shaping the future of our sector, and it is your commitment to Ireland’s communities that drives our work in The Wheel.
As we move closer to the General Election, we will continue to advocate for policies that support our sector and will keep our members informed of further developments. We would also you to please promote The Wheel’s Election Manifesto and General Election Pledge – developed in consultation with our members – to support a 10-point plan for a better future for all.
We will continue to drive our mission to champion the role of Irish charities and community organisations in building a flourishing society.
