Social groups satisfied with progress

SOCIAL AND community groups have expressed satisfaction with commitments given to maintain those aspects of Towards 2016 aimed at the underprivileged.

The building of more social housing, the elimination of child poverty, full literacy for those leaving school and more training and skills for the unemployed are among the proposals in part one of the Towards 2016 agreement.

Part two, which deals with the economic issues of pay and collective bargaining, was heading for deadlock last night.

Seventeen community and voluntary organisations yesterday met with officials from eight Government departments, including the Department of the Taoiseach, to discuss progress in the implementation of the social aspects of the partnership agreement.

The groups were told that there may be cutbacks given the financial situation facing the Government, but the scale of those cuts would not be apparent until the budget is finalised in the autumn.

Conference of Religious of Ireland (Cori) director general Seán Healy said the talks were in a “good space” and there was a willingness on all sides to continue with the social aspects of the partnership irrespective of what happened in the pay talks themselves.

Fr Healy said the groups urged the Government to prioritise aspects of Towards 2016, such as the building of 9,000 social housing units every year.

“One principle that would be useful in making decisions is that initiatives should be continued that are good for the economy and good for the vulnerable, ie social housing and literacy and unemployment,” he said.