Bríd speaks on the emasculation of Community Development Programmes

We had for a time, before the recession, useful programs and projects in our communities through what was called ‘Community Development’. And it worked, especially in poor working class communities – Senator Eileen Flynn is an example, having come up through that route in the Traveler community in Ballyfermot. But then came the cuts – so’s the banks could be bailed out – and our Community Development Programmes were cuts 35% to 41%, compared with 7% cuts to other areas. We now have 19 projects gone and remaining projects mostly look to ‘work activation’ not addressing deeper community needs. Shame on the successive governments who oversaw this disservice to the most needy communities– FF FG Greens and Labour