Charities seek Government strategy to protect key services

Organisations representing over 1000 charities have asked the Government to draw up a cross-departmental strategy to protect key public services.

The joint call was made by six national organisations , the Wheel, the Disability Federation of Ireland, Care Alliance Ireland, Irish Rural Link, Carmichael Centre for Voluntary Groups and the National Youth Council of Ireland at a press conference in Dublin today in advance of next month's budget .

The Government regularly made the important point that there was a need to achieve sustainability in the public finances, the group said in a statement.

“We agree,’’ it added. “The challenge, however, is to do this while preserving our social fabric and the public services that people rely on.’’

Director of the Wheel Ivan Cooper said a successful economy depended on a successful society. "We cannot have one without the other,'' he added. "Yet our current national recovery programme is degrading the social basis for a sustainable future.''