Community workers fear for future

A NUMBER of local TDs are backing a petition calling on the Minister for Environment, Phil Hogan, to meet with representatives of community workers affected by plans for local area partnerships.

The plans are included in the department’s

‘Putting People First’ document, published late last year, and aim to align local development companies with local authorities.

Local development companies on the Northside include Tolka Area Partnership (Finglas and Cabra), Ballymun Whitehall Area Partnership, Blanchardstown Partnership and Northside Partnership (Dublin 3, 5, 13 and 17).

However, it remains unclear exactly how the alignment will work and community workers represented by SIPTU are calling for a meeting with Minister Hogan to clarify how it will affect staff and local development.

“The

‘alignment’ of local development companies (LDCs) and local authorities is a real issue for workers and communities,

? said SIPTU Community Sector Organiser, Darragh O’Connor.

“Not only do LDC workers face an uncertain future as the Minister seeks to establish a redundancy fund, but it is unclear how the community approach to development will be protected.

“Phil Hogan seems intent on changing the system without talking to a major stakeholder – the workers.

“By refusing to talk to workers Minister Phil Hogan is ignoring the experts who deliver for communities. This cannot continue. Over the coming weeks workers will be escalating their campaign for a say in the future of their jobs and communities.

?

An online petition demanding a meeting with the Minister has over 1,000 signatures, some from LDC staff concerned for their futures, and is backed by Dublin Central TDs Mary Lou McDonald (SF) and Maureen O’Sulivan (Ind).

“I support the petition because there has to be meaningful consultation with the workers,

? said Deputy O’Sullivan.

“Staff and services for communities have to be prioritised. The community workers are the people who know the issues and the problems, and can certainly contribute to the solutions.

?

Deputy McDonald said Sinn Féin supported SIPTU’s demand for a meeting with Minister Hogan to address issues arising from the proposed alignment.

“The on-going failure on the part of the Minister is causing huge uncertainty and concern across the country for LDCs and indeed citizens who rely on their services,

? she said.

“Earlier this year Sinn Fein’s Ard Fheis voted overwhelmingly in favour of strengthening the role of local development companies and the community sector in any future reform of local government. The Minister instead seems hell bent on undermining both.

?

A spokesperson for the Department of the Environment said no petition had yet been received but said there already was

“a significant level of discussion and collaborative working

? on the proposals.

“Both the Department and Minister Hogan have had several engagements with representatives of the local development and community and voluntary sectors in relation to alignment and other issues of common interest and are taking into account the issues raised in those engagements,

? the spokesperson said.

“An Alignment Working Group has been established to assist and advise on the implementation of the alignment recommendations. This group includes representatives of the Irish Local Development Network – the national representative body for Ireland’s 50 local development companies – as well as the City and County Managers’ Association and Pobal.

“We are very aware that change and reform bring challenges to all concerned. However, if we are to ensure that publicly-funded programmes are implemented in the most efficient and effective manner, then it is important that all stakeholders are involved and are encouraged to play a constructive role in those reforms.

“We are satisfied that the most appropriate avenues for dialogue with stakeholders are being pursued.

“We will continue to ensure that the implementation of necessary reforms regarding publicly-funded programmes are carried forward in a collaborative manner and, in particular, that the Alignment Working Group promotes co-operation, trust and respect between the key stakeholders in its work.

?