POVERTY:DELEGATES SHARPLY criticised the abolition of the Combat Poverty Agency.
Nessa Childers, European Parliament candidate in the east constituency, described it as a "cynical and shameful ploy to neuter a body that had not been afraid to criticise governments and ministers of all hues" over the years.
"Combat Poverty, an organisation set up by Labour's own Frank Cluskey, has been condemned to death for committing the crime of telling it like it is," said Ms Childers.
The agency's achievement in recent years, she said, included the preparation of guidelines for use by local authorities, producing research on poverty and health inequality, reporting on trends among older people, and highlighting welfare reform proposals.
Dublin councillor John Lyons, who represents Finglas-Ballymun, said for the past 22 years Combat Poverty had been the voice of the forgotten people in Ireland.
"If we did not have the Combat Poverty Agency, we would not have the facts about the chronic rate of poverty among children of low-income families," he said.
"We would not have the facts about the extent of poverty in lone parent households, or the extent of pensioner poverty." Mr Lyons said that exchequer grants to the agency this year were €4.6 million.
"In a department which will spend €17 billion this year, €4.6 million for the service that is provided is relatively small."
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central) launched a national campaign to empower communities end educational disadvantage, and to eradicate illiteracy.
Seán Ó hArgáin (Carlow-Kilkenny) said that, so far, over 60,000 parents, students and teachers had taken to the streets to show up "the liars in Government".
