EAPN Ireland: Newsflash April 2025
Comments : 0
 View this email in your browser |
Welcome to the EAPN Ireland April NewsFlash. As the year gets underway with many important Anti-Poverty Strategies being revised and launched, at both national & European level, we look forward to full consulation and engagement at all levels. In the meantime, we would like to wish everyone a Happy Easter! Your April NewsFlash contains updates from EAPN Ireland, news and upcoming events from members organisations, and the latest from EAPN Europe. To learn more about our work, and to keep up to date, please visit our website, or follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, or Instagram. In solidarity, Paul, Maureen and Clare The EAPN Ireland Team EAPN IRELAND NEWS  April 16, 2025 The EAPN Ireland Briefing on 2023 Income and Poverty Data is now available. The briefing provides important information on income, poverty, and inequality in Ireland and the groups most impacted. It highlights key points that help to understand the findings of SILC 2023, and particularly the changes that occurred between 2022 and 2023. The briefing also outlines the crucial measures the Government must take to achieve the commitment in the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025 to reduce the level of those in consistent poverty to 2% or less by 2025. While SILC 2023 shows progress towards this target, it cannot be achieved without measures that are sustained and tackle the structural nature of poverty. Read the full EAPN Ireland Briefing on 2023 Income and Poverty Data here. SOCIAL INCLUSION PREPARATORY WORKSHOPS In collaboration with Community Work Ireland, we hosted five very engaged preparatory workshops in advance of next month’s annual Social Inclusion Forum in Croke Park on May 8th. Two online meetings, and three in-person gatherings in Pavee Point, Cork and Galway, heard input from Traveller & Roma organisations, groups representing disabled people, migrants, and family resource centres from around the country. There is a palpable sense of frustration in the sector, a feeling of being heard, but not being listened to, an understanding that we have long known and pointed out what needs to be done, but these measures are not being implemented, and the impact is not being felt. As we approach the end of the current Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025, a focus on empowering groups working to end poverty, and a focus on real impact has to be priortised. The Final Report from the Preparatory Workshops will be out soon, and we encourage members to promote the main messages in the run up to the Forum. Check website & social media for details! *********************************************************** SUBMISSIONS OPEN FOR NEW SOCIAL INCLUSION ROADMAP The Department of Social Protection has opened up a call for submissions for the next successor for ‘The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 – 2025’. The closing date is June 30th and you can read more about it hhttps://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-social-protection/consultations/public-consultation-on-the-successor-to-the-roadmap-for-social-inclusion-2020-2025/. This will be the cornerstone of policy in tackling poverty and social exclusion for the next number of years. It is vital that those who are excluded and marginalised are heard in the formulation and implementation of the new strategy. Let your voice be heard, we are encouraging applications from all members. *********************************************************************** EAPN IRELAND ATTENDS EAPN EUROPE EVENTS IN PORTO March26-28th EAPN Ireland joined colleagues across Europe for the annual Peoples’ Summit and other events in Porto from March 26-28th. We were excellently represented by Paul Ginnell, Lesley O’Rilly, and Anne Loftus. Lesley was one of the 10 People Experiencing Poverty Co-ordinators who attended an important workshop on the 27th, which discussed the need for the meaningful participation of those experiencing poverty to be placed at the centre of all EAPN Europe’s work and the development and implementation of the new EU Anti-Poverty Strategy. Lesley also addressed the plenary and stressed the need for strong Anti-Poverty Strategies, with penalties for those countries which fail to comply. Overall the Summit stressed the need to eradicate, rather than alleviate, poverty, and the need to counter-act the present focus on competitiveness and cuts in social expenditure in order to fund increased defence spending. It emphasised the need to focus on the obligations under the European Pillar of Social Rights, and the multiplier returns to society from each euro spent on social investment. ******************************************************** NEW ADDITION TO THE TEAM Clare Daly as our new Policy & Communications Officer, following the departure of Tim Hanley. Clare comes to us with a background of over 40 years experience as a social justice campaigner. A former shop steward, community activist, county councillor, TD and MEP, she brings a knowledge of national and European affairs and we very much look forward to working with her as part of our team. EAPN EUROPE NEWS  EAPN EUROPE – POVERTY WATCH 2025 On April 8th EAPN Europe launched its annual flagship report, Poverty Watch 2025. The publication was informed by input from 19 country reports, including from Ireland. It analyses poverty across the EU and argues for a systemic approach to social protection to address it. Against the backdrop of 94.6 million EU citizens in poverty, and social protection systems under pressure in many countries from demographic and climate challenges, to ever greater inequality and rising defence expenditure. the need for the first EU Anti-Poverty Strategy ( being prepared this year) and the renewal of the European Pillar of Social Rights was never more important. This report is a useful tool in meeting those challenges. Read the full statement Click Below 🔗 EU 2024 Poverty Watch Report  Towards the Eradication of Poverty: EAPN’s New Position Paper is Out Now! On 18 July 2024, EAPN received with enthusiasm President Von der Leyen’s announcement of the first-ever EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, to be launched in 2026. After all, since our creation in 1990, we have consistently advocated for a right-based and inclusive European strategy to eradicate poverty. Since the very day of the announcement, we have been working tirelessly to push for a strong and ambitious EU Anti-Poverty Strategy (EU APS). We first launched the Roadmap Towards an EU Ant-Poverty Strategy. Then, through the last two editions of the People’s Summit, we brought together policymakers, politicians, EU institutions representatives, our members, civil society organisations, and people experiencing poverty to gather meaningful contributions for this historic initiative. Today, we are proud to launch one of the most important milestones in this journey: our Position Paper Towards the Eradication of Poverty. EAPN Vision and recommendations for the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy. Read the EAPN Position Paper Towards the Eradication of Poverty HERE |
OTHER NEWS TOGETHER FOR PUBLIC ALLIANCE MAY DAY EVENT Where : Outside Gates of Dail Eireann Date: Thursday May 1st Time: 12.45 On Thursday May 1st supporters of Together for Public Alliance, to which EAPN Ireland is affiliated, will gather outside the gates for the Dail to demand action on public childcare. We represent over 40 civil society organisations, trade unions, academics and childcare providers. With the new Government already in place for months, families need action on this key issue. There is no more time to waste, we cannot afford to wait! Come along & show your support! NEW OIREACHTAS COMMITTEES We welcome the allocation of the new Oireachtas Committee Chairs and hope that the Committes can get up and running without further delay. In particular, we congratulate the new Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Community & Rural Development. We look forward to working with all the members of this important Committee to ensure that tackling poverty is placed at the forefront of the Committee’s work, and that the question of adequate income is prioritised as part of this task. We reiterate that benchmarking of social welfare payments against adequacy, set at a level which lifts people out of poverty and provides them with a Minimum Essential Standard of Living is crucial. EAPN Ireland, Carmichael House, 4 Brunswick Street North, Dublin, D07 RHA8, Ireland Tel: + 353 (0) 1 8745737 / +353 (0)87 6402200 EAPN (European Anti-Poverty Network) Ireland is a network of anti-poverty groups working to put the eradication of poverty at the top of the EU and Irish agenda through information, training, advocacy and networking. Web: www.eapn.ie EAPN Ireland receives core funding from the Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO) which is funded by the Government of Ireland through the Department of Rural and Community Development      |
