The Future is Community: Budget 2025
Budget 2025 is an opportunity for government to deliver a budget that builds social cohesion; a budget that recognises the need to actively develop our society alongside our economy.
It is time to acknowledge the importance of Ireland's charities, community groups, and social enterprises as providers of vital public services and opportunities that enrich our lives. Together with our members, we’re calling for a budget that empowers community action and resources essential services.
Budget measures to support civil society
Find more information on all of the points below in our full pre-budget submission, The Future is Community.
What our members say
“To meet Ireland’s growing mental health needs, we should invest in the voluntary and community mental health sector with sustainable, multi-annual funding. This sector faces stagnant or reduced funding despite rising demand. Adequate investment is crucial for effective service delivery and staff retention. Embracing new technologies and innovative methods can further enhance support.”
Fiona Coyle, Mental Health Reform
“Given that Ireland has one of the highest levels of loneliness in Europe, it is vital that an Action Plan to Combat Loneliness is funded in Budget 2025.”
The Loneliness Taskforce
“Our vision is to work towards an inclusive society that supports the integration and well-being of all, through the strengthening of the availability and functioning of health and addiction services.”
Eddie Mullins, Merchant’s Quay Ireland
“Social dialogue allows us to identify challenges at the earliest stages, facilitates communities to come to terms with those challenges and to build consensus about how best to manage change in a way that allows people to have a say in the policies affect them.”
John McGeady, Social Justice Ireland
“We believe poverty is not inevitable and with the right policies we can end it. Adequate income support, pathways to good quality jobs and quality public services are all needed to lift people out of poverty for good.”
Tricia Keilthy, SVP: The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Ireland
“Community supports including disability-specific services, the majority provided by the voluntary sector, are essential to realise the right of disabled people to independent living and to realise the UN CRPD. This includes Personal Assistance, home supports, alternative forms of respite, personalised budgets etc. These critical supports continue to be underfunded and overstretched.”
Emer Begley, Disability Federation of Ireland
“A secure, comfortable, and affordable home is the foundation for any community and country. A home forms the basis for a good life and our well-being through a sense of security and privacy. We strongly believe in the provision of high-quality affordable homes through the delivery of social housing. This is only possible through strong partnership and support from the Government.”
Haley Curran, Cooperative Housing Ireland
“Children and Young People are the future of this country and they deserve the best services to ensure they can meet their full potential and engage fully in society. We work with many families who are struggling and we know that with the right level of support in properly funded, accessible services, they are able to achieve their goals. Investment in children, young people, and families will help to build a more equal and humane society for all.”
Siobhán O’Dwyer, Youth Advocate Programmes Ireland
“Communities possess unparalleled expertise and advocacy for their local areas. With robust government support, they have the potential to significantly accelerate the achievement of the SDGs by 2030. Indeed the global momentum behind ‘SDG localisation’ demonstrates the transformative power of community-driven initiatives. We urge the government to prioritise and empower communities, both present and future, in this budget to maximize their impact.”
Dearbhail Lawless, Coalition 2030
No Name Club promotes and encourages young people to make informed health behaviour choices while enjoying positive social interaction in an inclusive and fun setting. The importance of resourcing, sustaining, and indeed futureproofing the development of such opportunities for children and youth participation, with all the personal and social benefits for communities and society, cannot be overstated.
John Williams, The No Name Club
Add your voice to this campaign? Email emily@wheel.ie and tell us how the recommendations in our pre-budget submission would support your organisation's work.
We're calling for Budget 2024 to empower charities, community organisations, and social enterprises. Now is the time to act on urgent issues facing the sector, and to create the conditions for a just and fair society to flourish.
