EAPN Ireland Newsflash: September 2025
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Dear Friend, Welcome to the EAPN Ireland September NewsFlash. We hope everyone had a good break over the Summer and are back in action for the challegnes of the last quarter of 2025. Your September NewsFlash contains updates from EAPN Ireland, with some really exciting events we have organised in October, along with news and 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, Bluesky, Facebook, or Instagram. In solidarity, Paul, Trishna and Clare The EAPN Ireland Team EAPN IRELAND NEWS  We are hosting this unique opportunity to hear from the authors of the international bestseller ‘ The Spirit Level -Why Equality is Better for Everyone’ in the New Theatre on Thursday October 16th at 7pm. This ground breaking book is a comprehensive analysis linking the negative effects of inequality to much of society’s problems and has been recently updated to take account of how inequality is at the root of our escalating environmental, health & social crises. For activists for social justice & climate action, academics, & policy makers, this is a must attend. Tickets are limited. Don’t delay in booking! The Department of Social Protection supports this project as part of its funding initiative for the United Nations Day for the Eradication of Poverty. We appreciate their assistance.  Time & Again Donegal is consistently one of the poorest counties in Ireland. Why is this the case & what can be done about it? On Monday October 13th we will join activists in Letterkenny Library at 2pm and hear from those experiencing poverty about the impact on their lives. and how we can organise to address it. We are very grateful for the assistance from the Intercultural Platform in Donegal & the Department of Social Protection. ****************************************** BUDGET 2026 – TIME TO ERADICATE POVERTY Budget 2026 will be presented to the Dail on October 7th, although much of its contents are already well known. Against the backdrop of record levels of child poverty & homelessness, a crippling cost of living crisis , and wholly inadequate public services, the usual approach of piecemeal increases and tweaking the present situation, is simply not good enough. We need a radical overhaul to place the eradication of poverty as the cornerstone of economic policy. This is entirely possible. The Irish Central Bank has stated that the wealthiest 10% of households own 49.1% of total household wealth. A wealth tax of 1.5% on those with a net wealth of €4.6bn would yield additional resources of €4bn which could deliver income adequacy for all of our citizens and contribute to developing essential public services. These measures cannot wait. We need serious action NOW! POVERTY WATCH IRELAND 2025 In October, we will publish Poverty Watch Ireland 2025 Poverty Watch is published annually to: monitor key trends and policy on poverty and social exclusion in Ireland. This year’s report will focus on Anti-Poverty Strategies as Ireland prepares its successor to the Roadmap on poverty & Social Exclusion, and the EU prepares its first Anti-Poverty Strategy. Watch this Space! EAPN EUROPE NEWS  CONSULTATION EU ANTI-POVERTY STRATEGY Public consultation on the first-ever EU Anti-Poverty Strategy that aims ‘to help people to get access to the essential protection and services they need, along with addressing the root causes of poverty,’ is open for input. The purpose of the strategy is to boost the effectiveness and impact of national poverty reduction approaches. With 93.3 million people (21% of the EU population) at risk of poverty or social exclusion, there is no doubt that serious action is needed. Have you say! Details HERE Deadline 24th October ********************************** SEAMUS BOLAND – NEW PRESIDENT EESC On behalf of EAPN we send wholehearted congratulations to Seamus Boland from Irish Rural Link who will be inaugurated as President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on October 23rd for the 2025–2028 term at a ceremony in the European Parliament in Brussels. This is an important European body and ee look forward to working with Seamus towards the development of a more socially just Europe during his mandate and wish him every success. |
OTHER NEWS PUBLIC CONSULTATION – SOCIAL CLIMATE PLAN Ireland’s Social Climate Plan which will run from 2026-2032, is open for public consultation. The plan must be in place and take account of the needs of the most vulnerable, in order to access EU funding. Ireland is one of a number of countries which failed to meet the June deadline for submission of the plan, so it is even more urgent that the voices of the most marginalised are heard. It is claimed that the plan will focus on investment in long-lasting, socially fair measures aimed at supporting those who may be most vulnerable to energy and transport poverty arising from our transition towards clean mobility and a decarbonised built environment. This first, of two consultations, aims to capture information on what the public sees as the priorities for investment under this plan. Make sure your voice is heard! Deadline for submissions Thursday 23 October and is available on the EUSurvey website. ************************************************** RESEARCH PROJECTS COMMUNITY EDUCATION AONTAS Community Education Projects are launching two research & advocacy projects on October 7th in the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission building in Dublin. You can indicate your preference bycompleting the registration form. Community Education Against Disinformation (CEAD) workbook 10am – 1pm. This project aims to co-create an activity workbook that supports community education participants development of competencies to ensure they can engage with digital technologies in a critical, collaborative and creative way. You can read more about project here. Community Education for Social Transformation (CEST) research report 2pm – 3.30pm. This research project seeks to critically explore the current state of community education in Ireland, its value to learners and communities, and the impact of funding and policy shifts on practice. ************************************************ CHILD POVERTY RATES at ECONOMIC CRASH LEVELS – ESRI A blistering report undertaken by the ESRI in conjunction with Community Foundation Ireland published earlier this month has shown the devastating impact of the housing crisis as a key driver of poverty in general, and child poverty in particular. After housing costs are taken into account, one fifth of children are living below the poverty line, with Ireland ranking 16th out of 27 EU countries. Details of the report available HERE. We cannot solve poverty without addressing the housing crisis. We need a total abandonment of the state’s subsidisation of the private sector to deliver housing, and return to the delivery of public social and affordable housing. 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 staff e-mail addresses are: Paul Ginnell, Director: paul@eapn.ie Clare Daly, Policy and Communications Officer: clare@eapn.ie Trishna Guha, Administration and Finance Officer: trishna@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      |
