merrion street

Eleven anti-poverty organisations are to benefit from funding of €30,700 approved by the Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton T.D. today (12th July 2013) as part of an initiative to promote the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty which falls on 17th October each year and which is observed around the world. 

The funding is being provided to assist these groups with once-off initiatives at national, regional or local level that will:

create public awareness of the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty;

create public awareness of poverty in Ireland;

involve people at risk of, or experiencing, poverty;

express solidarity with the fight to eradicate poverty globally.

Minister Burton said: “While gains have been made in recent years, and poverty is declining, too many people across the world continue to be affected by poverty, hunger, lack of clean water, and related issues. The UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is crucial in highlighting the need to face up to these problems and find solutions.

“In Ireland, my Department makes a crucial difference in terms of reducing poverty. Research shows that welfare payments, or social transfers, reduce the at-risk-of-poverty levels in the State by over 60% - the most effective performance in the EU. But significant problems remain and that is why it is vital these problems are highlighted so that they can be addressed.

“I am very pleased to make this funding available to the groups that will enable them create public awareness of poverty in a number of areas throughout the country. Anti-poverty policies and programmes can only be successful when they are genuinely informed by, and inclusive of, the experiences of individuals and families who have to contend with poverty. The activities proposed will give a voice to people experiencing poverty and social exclusion and those who work with them. I would like to congratulate them on their initiatives and I wish them every success with their projects.”

Projects approved for funding

Name Activity Amount Granted

Tallaght Travellers Youth Service, Dublin 24 A photographic exhibition and a short film by a group of young Travellers.  Activity will culminate with a launch during week of 17th Oct.  €2,800

ATD Fourth World, Dublin 1 Co-ordinate the preparation and staging of the Annual Commemoration of the International Day For The Eradication of Poverty held at the Famine Memorial, Custom House Quay, Dublin 1, on October 17th 2013. The Commemoration brings together people struggling with extreme poverty, alongside many others desiring to express solidarity with them, including representatives from community groups, voluntary organisations, statutory agencies, faith groups, politicians, public officials and ordinary citizens. Giving a voice to the poorest is at the heart of the Commemoration event. €3,000

Downstrands Family Resource Centre, Portnoo, Co.Donegal A photographic exhibition to highlight emigration, historically and currently, as a response to poverty and lack of opportunity in South West Donegal.  Exhibition will be launched on 12th Oct in the Dolmen Centre in Portnoo and be displayed until end of Oct. €3,000

Moyvalley Resource Centre IRD, Ballina,Co. Mayo Organise and deliver an 8 week knitting/quilt making course for older people; this will involve them learning the skill of knitting and quilt making, to produce garments and blankets which will be donated to a range of voluntary organisations including the local St. Vincent De Paul and an identified third world missionary organisation.

On the 17th of October 2013 a talk will be given on the issues that are facing people over the age of 55 in Ireland. This will allow a forum for the elderly to give their experiences of social exclusion, poverty and perhaps disadvantage. €3,000

Children’s Group Link Providing 3 Video Production workshops  for disadvantaged and special needs youth from Waterford City and its environs and to promote social inclusion and equality by engaging them in social, practical and personal development meaningful activities. These workshops will conclude with a public photo exhibition and a small video directed and written by the youth themselves. The target group for this proposal consists of up to 50 young people aged 12-18 years old to learn skills in all of the above and to promote solidarity with all those living in extreme poverty.

€3,000

Learning Hub Limerick, Kileely, Limerick  The work will take place within the Art Hub. Children come to the art hub to develop their artistic skills through socially engaged art projects. The plan is to create individual art pieces using acrylic paint on canvas depicting the social issue of poverty in Ireland. The children involved within the project will be educated informally through discussions and mood boards. Images of the children’s artwork along with information regarding poverty in Ireland and UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty will be made into postcards and sent around Limerick. They also plan to place a segment into the local paper creating more awareness.

€1,259

Arden View Family Resource Centre, Tullamore, Co. Offaly Hold a series of activities in the resource centre for the week of October 17th. The activities will be centred around creating awareness of the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and will include:- arts and crafts for children, an international cuisine morning to experience foods from different cultures, the development of a mosaic / tapestry by the Arden View Women’s and Parent’s groups to commemorate October 17th for display in the resource centre and commemorative pens for distribution to groups and the local community.   The event will culminate with the unveiling of the mosaic/tapestry at the resource centre open night on October 17th.  A guest speaker will be invited to make a presentation on the week’s events and the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.  €2,700

Clonmany Youth and Community Resource Centre, Inishowen, Co.Donegal Will hold 5 cookery classes during Sep/Oct followed by an anti-poverty day of activities which will include a cookery demonstration of how to plan and provide nutritious meals for a family on a limited income.  Meals will have a national and international flavour.

€3,000

Mevagh Family Resource Centre, Letterkenny, Co.Donegal Build two Biomass Presses and demonstrate the making of briquettes made from waste paper, with the aim of enabling and educating people of a method of alleviating fuel poverty.  Also group will work with men to build a traditional curragh (art of woodturning).  Exhibition will be held on 17th Oct.

€2,950

Age Action, Camden Street, Dublin 2 To produce and launch a leaflet on poverty and older people, focusing on income security. The emphasis will not only be on national issues but to increase solidarity for older people globally by examining age-related poverty in the developing world.

The aim of the work is to (i) raise awareness of poverty among older people not only in Ireland but in developing countries (ii) to highlight the importance of social protection systems to ensure income security for older people in developing countries (iii) increase solidarity for older people living in poverty in developing countries (iv) to engage and raise awareness of ageing issues among the global development sector. Age Action works in conjunction with its international partner Help Age International on ageing and development issues, specifically in 4 programme countries in Africa; Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa. A leaflet will tie in with this on-going work. €3,000

Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU)

The INOU plans to highlight and publicise the availability of direct supports to Jobseeker’s seeking to progress from Welfare into Work. These people are particularly susceptible to becoming the ‘working poor’ and suffering the effects of associated poverty traps.

The INOU will publish 500 posters and 10,000 accompanying inserts/leaflets that will highlight and publicise how people, particularly families, can maximise their income when moving into employment.

It will encourage people to work with the DSP in identifying employment supports and services, particularly Family Income Supplement and other DSP initiatives when seeking to take up employment. The printing of the publications will be completed immediately after the Budget in October 2013 and distribution of the publications will coincide with the 17th October. INOU aims to co-ordinate the media component of the project on the 17th  October 2013 €3,000

Total €30,709