Women’s organisations facing closure as government ransacks equality budget, July 29th 2009

Published: Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The government has once again showed contempt for the women of Ireland by taking money designated for getting women into jobs and into decision-making positions to spend on budget short-falls. In April, the government allocated almost €5 million for these measures - but Minister of State, John Moloney has admitted to the National Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI) that almost €4 million of this has since been re-allocated. In May, the NWCI learned that €9 million allocated in Budget 2008 had been similarly re-deployed.

The NWCI is further dismayed to learn that the government has already agreed to re-allocate what Minister Moloney called a 'huge chunk' of €10 million worth of EU funds for women, to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, with no requirement that it be spent on women's employment. 'This money was provided by the EU to address the serious inequalities experienced by women in Ireland' said Susan McKay, NWCI Director. 'We will be seeking to meet with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to insist that this funding is spent on measures for women.'

'The women's organisations which are our members provide essential services to women in Ireland, and many of them have already had to take substantial cuts to funding' said Ms McKay. ' If the recommendations of the McCarthy Report are implemented, many face closure. Now we learn that the government has ransacked the equality budget to fund shortfalls in other departments. Women are being punished for the failure of a political system run overwhelmingly by men. We will resist these cuts.'